Immortal Kiss
by sailorgreywolf
Summary: Vampire AU. Ludwig is a vampire slayer and he has finally crossed the line and angered a powerful vampire. Ivan decides to take his revenge on Ludwig through his brother. A game of cat and mouse ensues. RussiaXPrussia
1. Chapter 1

Gilbert often laughed when his brother told him that he slayed vampires and Ludwig would always respond with the same thing "There is more danger than you know. They are all around you. It's impossible for a normal person like you to see what they really are until they sink their fangs into your veins and drink you hot blood.". Gilbert's response was always the same "Maybe if you told me what they looked like I could avoid them".

Ludwig always gave him the same vague response "They are pale, extremely good looking, with very bright hypnotic eyes in strange colors". Gilbert would always laugh the same way "You know you just described me, right?" He never really expected to meet one of these mythical creatures his little brother spent his time hunting. Gilbert spent the majority of his time partying, drinking, smoking, and generally ignoring all the rules of society. Clubs were his forte; he and his two best friends usually spent their Saturday nights in clubs.

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><p>Ivan kneeled next to the body that was slowly turning to dust. If it was possible, he would have cried. He had no real love for his sister, especially with her obsessive desire to marry him, but she had been his blood and part of his covenant. It had been his duty to protect her to keep her safe, and he had failed her. He knew exactly who was to blame for this, he recognized the mark. Ludwig Beilschmidt always killed the same way, it was always clean. This upstart who called himself a slayer had gone too far this time. He had struck so close to Ivan, and he needed to pay.<p>

Ivan stroked the long soft blonde hair as it turned to dust. He pulled out the blue ribbon and put it in his pocket as a keepsake. He was going to make Ludwig hurt like he hurt and there was only one way to do it. He knew that Ludwig had a brother. It seemed a fair trade, a brother for a sister. He stood up, rage and grief bubbling in his cold blood. His throat hurt, but only the blood of one person was going to satisfy him. He walked down the dark alley at the back of which his sister had been killed. He followed the sound of obnoxiously loud music. Humans abused the sounds of the night; Ivan could hear the footsteps of mice. For him music was ruining the sounds that were naturally in the night. He usually hunted in clubs because of the ease, but the music was the worst part. His instinct told him this was the place he was going to find the prey he wanted. There was always a lingering scent on the stakes that Ludwig used, and Ivan knew his brother would have a similar scent.

He gave the bouncer a glance and the bouncer waved him through the door. He was a regular at the club, and the bouncer was also one of his. He found it much easier to come and go with his meals when the bouncer was one of his. He could smell hundreds of different human scents in the club. His heightened senses could identify all the humans and exactly what they were drinking. He caught the scent at once; it was only slightly different than Ludwig's. He locked on to the scent and followed it until his eyes found the albino boy dancing in the middle of the crowded dance floor. He felt the triumphant smirk spread across his face.

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><p>Gilbert moved easily to the music, it flowed through him and he moved naturally. Antonio was on one side of him, Francis had long since disappeared into the crowd after some hot young thing. The music changed and a totally different sound filled his head "Come to me". The voice was smooth and cold, but very seductive. He couldn't resist the calling; his feet began to move in an almost dream-like state. The world seemed to blur around him, the only thing that was in focus was a handsome man near the entrance. His violet eyes were fixed on Gilbert's red ones.<p>

He moved through the crowd effortlessly, he vaguely heard Antonio asking him where he was going. He remembered what he said in response even less. The same cold seductive voice rang through his head "That's right, come to me." It only took a few minutes for him to reach the man. The man's violet eyes held Gilbert's gaze, the hypnotizing voice spoke again in his head "Good, my pet. Very Good". The man was silent, but he reached out and touched Gilbert's face. Gilbert's heart began to race at once, he knew he was blushing. For the first time the man spoke and his voice matched the one in Gilbert's head "A beautiful specimen, better than I expected for the brother of a slayer. You will do very well indeed".

The voice spoke again "Call me Ivan, my pet. You are mine now". Ivan softly turned Gilbert's head from side to side, examining him from every angle. Gilbert didn't resist, he had no will to. Ivan's cold gaze had him speechless and paralyzed, Ivan spoke again "You really are perfect; I can't wait to taste you". He ran his thumb over Gilbert's lips, making a soft sound in the back of his throat "Mmmm". Gilbert's mind was completely blank except for Ivan's voice. Ivan wrapped his arm firmly around Gilbert's waist and began to lead Gilbert to the exit. Gilbert easily fell in step with Ivan.

He found himself in the back of a car with luxurious black leather seats. Ivan pulled Gilbert into his lap as the car started. Gilbert didn't register the fact that someone else must have been someone driving the car. Ivan's hands went under Gilbert's leather jacket, feeling the muscles through the thin shirt. The leather jacket fell off his shoulders, he didn't even notice. His skin was on fire with Ivan's touch. Ivan's hands explored every part of Gilbert's back and torso, then slowly they moved lower. Gilbert moaned slightly as Ivan's fingers dug into his butt. He couldn't pull his gaze away from Ivan.

The car stopped and Ivan's voice spoke in Gilbert's mind again "Go inside, there is nothing to fear". Gilbert followed the order; he opened the door of the car and walked out. Ivan followed behind him. He could feel Ivan's eyes on his back. Unconscious of his actions, he let his hips sway a little more. He walked into the door of the large house; inside it was dimly lit by candles. Gilbert pulled off his shirt, exposing his pale chest. The room was empty apart from a very large bed in the middle. Somehow Gilbert knew what he was supposed to do. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back so he was resting on his elbows. He threw his head back and half closed his eyes.

Ivan walked up to him slowly, his eyes hungrily taking in every inch of Gilbert's body "You are a fine specimen indeed". Ivan ran his hand down the side of Gilbert's face, down his neck and over his chest. One arm wrapped around Gilbert's bare waist. He leaned closer and licked Gilbert's exposed neck "Mmmm". Gilbert moaned and if he had been able to think, he would have known how much of a whore he sounded like. He arched his back even more, pushing himself against Ivan. Ivan growled and pulled Gilbert into a fierce kiss. Gilbert submitted at once, he let Ivan's tongue explore his moaned and his voice spoke again "I want you. It's time to end this game, my pet". Ivan's mouth moved to Gilbert's neck. He slowly ran his tongue over the soft skin before he bit.

The pain seared through Gilbert and burned away the spell. All at once he knew what was happening, it was what Ludwig had always warned him would happen. He looked down at the red stream flowing down his pale chest. Part of his mind registered that it was his life's blood draining out of him. He began to feel weak, and he finally spoke "I never thought I would die like this". Ivan released Gilbert's neck and spoke into his ear "Aren't you afraid? Are you going to scream, beg for mercy?"

Ivan expected Gilbert to become hysterical and cry and plead like they all did. But he didn't, Gilbert smiled weakly "No, I don't think it would help. I'm not scared". Ivan didn't understand what was wrong, did this boy not understand? He wanted to see this beautiful creature scared, he wanted to hear that voice begging him. He grabbed Gilbert around the neck, not hard enough to hurt him "I don't think you understand what is going to happen. I'm going to drain your blood and leave your body for your brother to find. Aren't you scared?"

Gilbert's hand dug into the back of his neck, he spoke "Would you be happier if I was. Would you enjoy it?" He pushed himself up and kissed Ivan on the lips. If Ivan had been confused, it was nothing compared to how he felt now. No one had ever reacted this way. He loved the feeling of Gilbert's touch; he almost didn't want it to end. He had to kill Gilbert; there was no other way to get his revenge.

Then it came to him in a flash of inspiration, he could do something worse. He could make Ludwig hate himself more than just the death of his brother would. He pushed Gilbert into the bed "You are a strange human. That only makes me want you more. Let me take you into my night". He bit into his own wrist, drawing his own blood into his mouth. He leaned over Gilbert and kissed him hard, allowing the blood to flow into Gilbert's mouth. Gilbert gasped, but accepted the blood willingly.

The blood tasted far better than Gilbert had expected it to, he pushed his tongue into Ivan's mouth trying to get more of the taste. A cold air seized him and he shuddered. He felt cold all over and through him, it went straight through him. His lungs felt like they were frozen, every breath he took felt harder and harder. It almost hurt, but somehow he felt numb. He tried to speak, tried to protest but his lips were too numb.

Ivan held him down as he thrashed and spoke in his ear "Don't worry, my pet. The pain will be gone soon, and then you will be stronger than you know. It's only mortal death". Gilbert heard his heart in his own ears, it was terrifyingly slow. It got slower and slower every second. He tried to push himself up, but Ivan pinned him to the bed. He drew one more gasping breathe then he couldn't breathe anymore. He fixed his eyes on Ivan and watched as the edges of his vision turned black.

Ivan let go of Gilbert when he stopped moving, he kept his eyes fixed on Gilbert's face. He was actually scared; he knew that there was only a chance the blood would take to the host. If it didn't, Gilbert would remain dead. But if the blood did take, then he would have Gilbert with him for an eternity. He had tried this before; so many boys had died because of him. There had to be a connection between the dead and the vampire for it to take.

He stood up and walked around the room. A strange annoying beeping came from one of the pockets of Gilbert's jeans. Ivan pulled out a cell phone, which clearly showed that Ludwig was calling. Ivan smiled; this could not have gone any better. He flipped the phone open "Hello slayer". He could hear the gasp from the other side of the call, the terror in Ludwig's voice was delicious "Ivan, where is my brother?" Ivan's smirk widened, he was enjoying this "How did it feel when you drove a stake through Natalia's heart?" Ludwig remained silent; Ivan could hear Ludwig's fear.

He continued to taunt him "It felt good, didn't it? Well do you want to know how it felt when I drank from your brother's neck? It felt good, amazing in fact". Ludwig sputtered "You….killed my brother…." Ivan turned to look at the body on the bed, which still wasn't moving. Then Gilbert drew in a deep breathe. If Ivan's heart was able to, it would have started beating very fast. All these years of trying to create a perfect mate, and he finally had. He spoke into the phone "I can assure you, his heart no longer beats".

The sobs that came through the phone were his ecstasy. His voice gained strength "Does it cut like cold steel? Now you know my pain when I discovered what you did to my sister". Ivan ended the phone call before Ludwig said anything else.

Gilbert opened his eyes to a bright new world. Everything was so much more colorful than he remembered it being and he could see every detail. The sounds were amazing; he could hear little creaks with every step Ivan took. Gilbert could also smell everything, Ivan had an intoxicating scent. Ivan turned to Gilbert and closed a phone that Gilbert recognized as his own. Gilbert felt a shiver down his spine as Ivan's eyes met his. Ivan had some sort of magnetic aura that drew Gilbert too him. But the first thing he really felt was the pain that burned in his throat and water didn't sound appealing. He found his voice "I'm thirsty".

Ivan smirked "I'm sure you are, my pet. Let me get you something warm and soft". He rang a bell hanging on the wall, and almost at once a couple of men appeared dragging a thin girl between them. Gilbert was rather unimpressed, and then he caught her scent. It was like smelling especially fine alcohol. The pain in the back of his throat burned again. An animalistic growl rumbled from his throat. The blindfolded girl whimpered feebly as the two men dropped her on the carpet.

Gilbert walked smoothly up to her, taking in her scent. He couldn't hold back any longer, he moved quickly and sunk his teeth into her throat. The rush of blood was better than anything he had ever tasted. He could hear the girl's feeble heart beating in his ears. He was caught up in the ecstasy of it; he didn't stop until Ivan pulled him back. Ivan took the body from his arms "Be careful, my love. If you drink from the dead, then they will pull you down into death with them". Gilbert licked his lips, trying to hold onto the taste of the blood.

Then he turned to look at Ivan, who was kneeling next to him. He was seeing Ivan like he had never seen him before. The brightness of his violet eyes and the perfection of his features. He wrapped his arms around Ivan "You killed me". Ivan laughed and put his hands on either side of Gilbert's face "I did, and then I gave you my immortal kiss. Do you feel it, my pet? Do you feel the power?" Gilbert laughed "I can feel it! My body is so strong. I feel like I could take the world!" Ivan gently pushed Gilbert down so that he was lying on the floor. He growled slightly as he kissed Gilbert "We will take the world. Do you want some more? That one was skinny".

Gilbert smirked and kissed Ivan again "I do, that was not enough. I want more, so much more". Ivan released him with a slight giggle "You are so greedy. I like it. Don't you care for your brother's precious morals?" Gilbert laughed and stood up "I have already destroyed so many of my brother's little morals here and there. I am a sinner already. Why should I be concerned about a few more sins?" Ivan laughed as he rang the bell again "My little sinner, you are exactly what I always wanted".

The two men came back again, this time the blindfolded person between them was another girl, but she was voluptuous and beautiful. Ivan took her from the two men with a seductive smile on his face. He gracefully sunk his teeth into her jugular, at the same time he beckoned to Gilbert. Gilbert walked over to him and sunk his fangs into the other side of the girl's neck. She was dead within minutes, and they let the body fall to the floor. Ivan kissed him again "Come now, my pet, this night belongs to us"

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><p><em>AN: I feel like this is a tiny bit like the other Russia/Prussia fanfics I have done, but I have been dying to do a vampire AU with this couple. I suppose this is what a three day marathon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer does to my brain. I have borrowed ideas from a few different sources, so this shouldn't sound too close to anything. I originally intended this to be a oneshot, but I'm not sure if I am going to expand this into a whole story. Maybe I will if I get lots of nice reviews ^-^_


	2. Chapter 2

Ludwig listened to the silence on the other end of the phone, waiting for something to tell him his brother was still alive. The only thing he was thinking was that this was entirely his fault. He had pulled Gilbert into this world and he had made it possible for Ivan to get at Gilbert. He should have been there to protect Gilbert, he would have done something. But he had just let this happen.

He kicked a table in his frustration. The door banged open and through it came Roderich, Ludwig's partner in slaying, and he looked pissed. Ludwig already knew that Roderich was attracted to his brother, but he wasn't sure how strong it was. Roderich held up his cell phone and said in an icy voice "I just got off the phone with Antonio, he was wondering where Gilbert is. I assume we are going to go find him". Ludwig looked over at him and tried to find the words "There is no need…" Roderich looked even angrier "What do you mean? Where is he?"

Ludwig didn't realize he was pacing until he stopped "Gilbert is…..he is….." Ludwig tried to find the word, but he couldn't put it in the same sentence as Gilbert's name. Roderich picked up the meaning, all the blood drained from his face "Don't say dead, anything but dead." Ludwig cleared his throat "I'm sorry, Rod. I couldn't do anything….I didn't even know before it was too late….I….I…I let this happen" Ludwig fought to hold back sobs. Roderich held his composure very well "I'm sorry, Ludwig. But we can't let our emotions take us now. Do we know who killed him?" Ludwig looked at the phone in his hand "It was Ivan. He answered when I called Gilbert. He told me that he….." Roderich looked like he was carved out of stone "I'm going to kill him. But first we need to find the body to confirm death. There is a chance that Gilbert may not actually be dead. If Ivan just had his phone, then he could have just said that…" Ludwig got the point "You're right. I need to see it to believe that he really is…"

Roderich nodded stiffly "He better not be, I need one more chance to tell him how I feel." Ludwig said broken heartedly "But we don't even know how to find Ivan, let alone where he took Gilbert". Roderich nodded "If we set up a timeline and recreate the events, then we can plot possible locations. But that may take too long. If he isn't dead by now, then he will be soon". Ludwig still couldn't take it "Don't say that word, he isn't and he won't be….D-E-A-D". Roderich paced angrily "I know what we can do; I happen to know where of one of Ivan's men is. We can smoke him out and interrogate him". Ludwig nodded and picked up his coat from where he had flung it, pockets still full of stakes.

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><p>Roderich pulled the vampire into the street by his hair, holding a cross close to his face. The brown haired vampire whimpered as Roderich flung him onto the sidewalk. Roderich was never this rough, but he had never been angry like this before. He had never managed to express his feelings to Gilbert and he was not going to let Ivan take his chance away from him. Ludwig stood by and let Roderich do whatever he needed to.<p>

Toris looked up at him with shining green eyes, the kind of unnatural brightness that marked him as a vampire. Toris spoke with an East European accent "What do you want? If you knew where I was, what were you waiting for?" Roderich snarled and dangled the cross in front of Toris, who cringed "I want to know where Ivan takes his prey". Toris turned back to him, his green eyes gleaming "Has he taken something precious from you?" Roderich hit him hard across the face with the back of his hand, which was adorned with a cross ring that left an angry red burn across the brunettes face "That's not your problem; just tell me where he would take someone for a kill".

Toris laughed at him "Do you really think I would tell? Do you know what Ivan would do to me if I did?" Roderich hit him again from the other side, leaving a symmetrical burn "I can tell you what I will do if you don't tell me? This is only the beginning, I will torture you if I have to" Toris didn't even look slightly phased "Who is he to you? This boy that you are so desperate to find. Is he a friend?" Toris glanced over at Ludwig "Or a sibling?" He turned back to Roderich "Or just maybe…a lover?" Roderich hit him again, leaving another burn "What do you care who he is? I just need to know where he is." Toris looked at him with something that looked a little too much like sympathy for Roderich's liking "I didn't tell you this, but if it was my Feliks, I would look downtown at that mansion outside of the city on the East side, the one with the big gardens in back".

Ludwig made a disbelieving sound "That place has huge windows and no basement; no sane vampire would live there". Toris laughed again "I didn't say be _lived _there, I said that's where he feeds. It's obviously the place you wouldn't expect him to be". Roderich cut the ropes he had tied Toris's wrists together with "You live to kill another day. Play with your mortal boy toy a little more, and then take your Feliks and leave town". He turned and pulled out his car keys while he did so. Toris called after him "You need to hurry. Ivan likes to play with his food, but he will strike quickly if he is thirsty".

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><p>Ivan had already left the house Toris had told Roderich about, that was a place for prey and Gilbert was not prey anymore. Ivan resided with the few in his covenant that would live with him, in the most expensive hotel in the city. He had more than enough money to afford to live here indefinitely. He also owned the house where he had taken Gilbert. Hundreds of years of investments built up quickly. Gilbert looked around the hotel room and whistled "Damn this is nice. How can you afford this?" Ivan laughed "I have more money than you could imagine, we can afford anything we want".<p>

Gilbert was still dressed in the clothes he had been wearing at the club. He walked around more of the room and looked in the other doors. He found an immense bathroom and a walk in closet full of clothes, although nothing in his size. Ivan watched him with an amused expression "You should probably take a bath, you have blood everywhere. And I will get you some new clothes in the meantime". Gilbert walked over to Ivan and put his hands on Ivan's shoulders "Or you could take a bath with me. I want to see if you are this perfect all over", he kissed Ivan's lips hungrily.

Ivan pulled Gilbert against him "You are so different than everyone else. I didn't want to rush you." Gilbert smirked evilly "I've always known I was different. You could say I was born different. Someone as different as me has two choices. I could let their world destroy me, or I can create my own". Gilbert turned and sauntered into the bathroom, intentionally walking very seductively. He turned the tap on so it was streaming only hot water. He threw off his jacket and took off his shirt for the second time that night. His own blood had dried all over his chest; he also had blood on his face from feeding. Ivan walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around Gilbert's waist.

Gilbert turned around to face Ivan "You have me at a disadvantage, you are still fully clothed." He grabbed Ivan's t-shirt and pulled it off. Gilbert smirked slyly and kissed Ivan's exposed collar bone. Ivan moaned softly as Gilbert's mouth moved to his nipple. Ivan reached around Gilbert and turned off the tap before the tub overflowed "Do you want to cool it down a little?" Gilbert looked up at him with an evil smirk "And why would I want to do that? Is it too hot for you?" This was certainly a new experience for Ivan, usually people were hysterical after the change, angry and depressed. Gilbert loved this. Ivan didn't mind at all, it saved him the trouble of having to calm down a hysterical new born.

Gilbert slipped out of Ivan's arms and stripped the rest of the way before stepping into the bathtub. The water made his skin tingle, but he loved the feeling of it. He knew Ivan hadn't taken his eyes off of him. He looked over at Ivan invitingly "Are you going to make me do all the work?" Ivan smirked again "Impatient are we? We have all the time in the world, you know". Ivan started to undress slowly, just to torment Gilbert. Gilbert faked an impatient pout "But the first night is always the most important". Ivan lowered himself into the tub, which was more than big enough for two people. Gilbert was in his lap within seconds, kissing Ivan's lips like he would never taste them again.

He pulled back for a second "And I want my first night to be the best I have ever had." He leaned closer and whispered seductively in Ivan's ear "You said before that I'm yours now. So claim me". Ivan didn't need any more prompting; he locked his lips on Gilbert's. His kiss was different from Gilbert's; it was smoother and less hungry. At the same time Ivan's hands explored Gilbert's lower body. Gilbert hissed slightly as Ivan's fingers pushed into him. There was no real need to prep him because their bodies were invulnerable, but Gilbert would still feel the pain if he was not ready.

Ivan's expert fingers moved in Gilbert, carefully feeling for his prostate. Then Ivan hit it spot on. Gilbert moaned loudly "Ahhh… stop fucking teasing…Ahh, right there". Ivan pulled out his fingers, having decided that his new found lover was ready. Then he pushed himself into Gilbert, who mewled louder than ever. Gilbert's voice caught in his throat, he couldn't form words. Ivan waited patiently for Gilbert to adjust; he spoke in Gilbert's ear "You're a virgin, aren't you? Don't try to lie, I can tell". Gilbert managed to get his voice to function again "No…but I've always been on top before".

His ability to speak disappeared again as Ivan slowly pulled out and thrust back in. Ivan hit his prostate spot on again, Gilbert felt like he was going to black out from the pleasure of it. He threw back his head and Ivan kissed his neck mercilessly. Then Ivan bit the skin lightly, just enough to draw blood. For a vampire, sharing blood was the most sacred and sensual thing two vampires could do. Through blood, they could read each other's thoughts and memories. Ivan sped up his pace and Gilbert was reduced to jelly. He moaned and whined shamelessly.

He couldn't hold on much longer "Ivan, I'm going to come". Ivan kissed him again "Just a few more seconds love, then we can do it together". Gilbert tried to hold back for a few seconds, and then they came at the same time, moaning each other's names. Gilbert felt extremely tired afterwards; he had never had sex quite like that. It was in a league of its own. Ivan quickly washed Gilbert and whisked him out of the tub, carrying him bridal style. Ivan whispered sweetly to Gilbert in a language he did not understand, though he thought it was Russian. Ivan set him down on a bed and then lay down next to him. Gilbert cuddled up against Ivan's chest and fell asleep.

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><p>Ludwig kicked in the door of the mansion, both of them were sure they didn't have time to pick the lock. The lavish house was completely empty, save the furniture, which was sparse. Ludwig kicked in another door and they entered a room with only a large bed in it. Ludwig groaned in frustration "That damn vamp lied to us". Roderich looked around "No he didn't". Roderich walked over to the body of a skinny girl on the floor. He removed the blindfold the girl wore and looked at her face woefully "I recognize this girl; she vanished from her school a week ago. Poor thing, the monster that did this deserves to burn in Hell".<p>

He spotted the corpse of another girl a few feet away, they both looked to have died within minutes of each other. He identified the other one as another missing girl. There was no doubt that a vampire had fed here, but he could not be sure it was Ivan. He finally looked at the bed and the blood stains that covered the sheets. It could very easily be the blood of one of those girls, but his instincts told him that it must be what he feared. Ludwig was looking at the sheets as though he had come to the same conclusion "We were too late, he's dead".

Roderich didn't understand the logic behind this "But why? Why leave these two bodies, but not Gilbert's?" Ludwig shook his head "I don't know. But I do know that Ivan is going to pay for this". Roderich nodded, he looked cold and stony "We should have a funeral, even if we have to bury an empty coffin. It's the least he deserves". Ludwig wiped tears from the corners of his eyes "It's just hard to think that I will never see him again".

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><p><em>AN: I suppose I am completly unable to do two things:  
>1. Keep something short enough to make it a onetwoshot. I have now planned out a whole plot for this fic, and it is going to be LONG if I end up writing all of it  
>2. Keeping something that involves Prussia and Russia free of very explicit sex scenes, this just seems like such a sexual pairing to me that there NEEDS to be some very sexual and kinky portions<em>

_Sooooo...this is going to continue, I am going to alternate putting out chapters of this and putting out chapters of my Mexico fic (which I would be SO happy if you also read, it's a bit tamer than this though shamlessselfpromotionrightnow..otl). Anywho, I will try to get these out as often as I can, but I can't say for sure that I will be able to get these chapters out weekly or anything_

_Damn I am talking a lot, but I just want to be clear and I am feeling kind of long-winded today. The last thing I am going to say is please Review, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, and critiques (as long as they aren't too mean) are enormous help to me in knowing what I need to improve _


	3. Chapter 3

-A year later, New Year's Eve-

A black Ferrari zoomed down the highway. Gilbert was driving lazily with one hand on the steering wheel; the other was resting on Ivan's leg. Ivan had indulged Gilbert's insistence on having a fast car, with a little persuasion in the bedroom. Tonight they were moving between cities, something they did every so often to avoid slayers. The rest of the coven had already gone ahead; they were no doubt enjoying a New Year's party in the next city. Gilbert smirked, that smirk that Ivan loved, the one that meant he wanted to kill. He purred "I'm thirsty. Do you mind if I stop for a little snack?" Ivan smiled "Do whatever you like, love. Blood lust suits you".

Gilbert slowed the car down and pulled into a gas station. He flashed Ivan a seductive smirk before gracefully stepping out of the car, Ivan followed him silently. The convenience store was completely empty except for the blonde boy behind the counter, who looked up when they came in. Gilbert sauntered over to the counter "Hey, could you give me some directions?" The boy looked up, obviously star struck by Gilbert. Ivan hung back and discreetly locked the door. He would let Gilbert play with his food like he always did. Gilbert could use mind control, like Ivan had used on him, but he found that boring.

The employee fiddled with his name tag, which read "Mathew". He said shyly "I have a map if you need one". Gilbert leaned forward and purred seductively "I think I would prefer a little more personal touch, Mathew". Mathew blushed and looked away. Ivan decided to give Gilbert a little more to play with "Don't take too long, love. We need to be on the road again soon". Mathew looked over at Ivan "Are you two a couple?" Gilbert responded to Ivan in Russian then turned back to Mathew "What is it to you if we are?" Mathew misread the tone as defensive "I'm not going to judge you, I'm gay too." Ivan could almost taste Gilbert's excitement. Gilbert half laughed "That's unusual. Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?" Mathew looked slightly ashamed as he said "No. It's hard to find the right person, you know". This time Ivan responded "You have no idea, I waited forever for my lover and it was worth it".

Gilbert couldn't help but smile, he loved when Ivan praised him "You poor lonely boy, you haven't tasted what real love is like. Would you like a taste?" Gilbert licked his lips. Mathew looked positively scared, but in a half excited way "I don't really know…" Gilbert pressed his advantage "Come on, it's the New Year, it's time for new beginnings. Just one little kiss". Mathew looked uncertainly over at Ivan "Wouldn't your boyfriend object, he doesn't look like he would be ok with sharing". Gilbert sat on the counter and touched under Mathew's chin "Don't worry about him right now, he will forgive one little kiss". Gilbert had an undeniable skill for seducing mortals; Ivan was always somewhat awed when he watched.

Mathew stuttered incoherently and blushed scarlet. Gilbert made as though he was going to kiss Mathew, his lips were hardly a millimeter away from Mathew's. Ivan felt the familiar twinge of jealousy; he didn't want anyone else kissing his Gilbert. Then Gilbert changed directions and his lips made contact with Mathew's neck, then he bit down. Mathew gasped and tried to pull away. Gilbert held onto him with his superhuman strength as the boy struggled. Blood choked pleas spilled from Mathew's mouth. Gilbert pulled back for a moment and said softly "Beg for me, baby. I want to hear you beg for your life". Mathew tried desperately "Please, I want to live. Please spare me…"

Gilbert smiled lazily "Good boy, you earned some mercy". Then Gilbert broke his neck with one swift motion. The boy died instantly and nearly painlessly, Gilbert's definition of a merciful kill. He left the body where it had fallen on the floor and walked over to Ivan "Did I take too long?" Ivan smirked "Nyet. That was well done". Gilbert smiled "I did learn from you, Ivan". Ivan wiped some blood from the corner of his lover's mouth "You always make a mess though". Ivan leaned forward and kissed Gilbert hard on the lips, as he pulled away he whispered "I love you, Gilbert. I will love you for an eternity".

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><p>Roderich sipped the lukewarm coffee and stared unconvinced at the American boy across the diner table "So, you are a slayer? And you have some idea where Ivan is?" Alfred smiled and responded in a heavy Southern accent, he had a slight laugh in his voice as if he found the whole thing hilarious "Yes I am, and I have some info that y'all might want. How long have you been chasin' Ivan?" Ludwig glanced over at Roderich, who answered the question "It's been a year since we last saw him in Berlin. We tracked him to this country then we lost him". Alfred nodded as though he was actually listening "I got some news of a few of his clan at a shindig a couple miles from here in Las Vegas an hour or so ago. I reckon we should do some party crashin', we might just find the bastard".<p>

Roderich nodded "It sounds like a good idea. How many does he have with him?" Alfred shrugged "I didn't get that much info, I know there are five there. There is someone else too, one who is with him at all times. From what I have heard, he is a ruthless son of a bitch". Roderich glanced at Ludwig "Ivan must have gained one; none of them were close to him when we saw him". Alfred shrugged "What does it matter? A vamp is a vamp, and from what I heard this one is a piece of work". Ludwig spoke coldly "Who is he? What would he do if Ivan was threatened?" Alfred took a drink of the coffee then he spoke "He's from your neck of the woods, he is German. Past that, no one has been near him long enough and lived to tell us anything else. I don't even know what he looks like. But from what we can guess he is Ivan's mate".

Roderich scoffed "Vampires have to make or be made by their mates. There haven't been any missing people that we know of". Ludwig cut in coldly "It doesn't matter if he has a mate or not. I will kill every vampire that gets between me and Ivan". Ludwig abruptly got up and stormed off to the bathroom. Alfred watched him go then turned back to Roderich "Is he operating on all cylinders? He seems a little off his rocker." Roderich glared at the blonde man "He has been taking the last year really hard. You wouldn't be doing well either if your brother was murdered. And they were very close". Alfred nodded "So that's why y'all are chasin' down Ivan. You want revenge, right?"

Roderich nodded "I don't just want to kill him. I want to put him in a cage and put him in front of a window, then watch him burn as the sun comes up". Alfred nodded again and took another drink of coffee "I won't stop you from doing that, it's no less than he deserves". Ludwig appeared again "And why are you after Ivan, what has he done to you?" Alfred turned to him "He's the only one who ever got away from me. I don't give up on anything, especially on killin' him". Roderich changed the subject again "So, what is our plan of action? We can't take on a whole covenant even with the three of us". Alfred nodded If we all go in through different entrances, then we have a better chance of finding the bastard and staking him".

One of Roderich's hands went to the silver cross he wore around his neck; he had taken to wearing it all the time since Gilbert had died. It kept the emotions alive for him, the raw pain and anger. He wanted to be the one to kill Ivan, but before he killed him he wanted Ivan to beg forgiveness for Gilbert's death. He spoke again "It's risky, but if we succeed, we could take down the whole covenant. I think this is one opportunity we can't waist.

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><p>Gilbert pulled the car up to the club and parked neatly. They both caught the feeling that something was wrong; there was something off about the scent in the air. Gilbert looked at Ivan with concern "Do you feel that?" He didn't actually need to ask, he knew the answer. Ivan's senses were sharper than Gilberts. Ivan responded "Someone should have been here to meet us. Something is very wrong here". Gilbert nodded in silent agreement "Do you think it's a slayer? We can destroy them; we have taken on slayers before". Ivan shook his head "This is different, I can just feel it." He actually sounded worried, which Gilbert had never heard before. It made him incredibly worried too "So, what are we going to do?" Ivan reached out and stroked Gilbert's cheek "I'm going to go in there, you are going to stay here and if I don't come back, you are going to leave".<p>

Gilbert reacted exactly how Ivan expected him to "No! I'm going to protect you. I will not abandon you!" Ivan grabbed Gilbert's chin and forced their eyes to meet "Listen to me. I am not going to let you die; I care about you too much for that to happen". Gilbert should have felt proud that Ivan cared so much, but he felt so empty at the thought of living without Ivan. He didn't need to say what he was thinking; Ivan could read it in his eyes. Ivan continued "You are going to stay here and live, do it for me". Gilbert wanted to continue to protest, but the words stuck in his throat. He suspected that Ivan was mentally influencing him to make it easier. Ivan leaned forward and kissed Gilbert one last time, with a hungry desperation.

Gilbert hated it; it felt like a final goodbye. He wanted to say something, but he didn't get the chance. Ivan gave him one last longing look before opening the door and stepping out of the car. Worry clenched in Gilbert's chest as he watched Ivan disappear into the dark doorway.

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><p>Ivan's heart broke when he left Gilbert behind, but he couldn't stand watching him die. He was going to keep Gilbert alive, despite what his hot-tempered mate wanted. The scent in the air got worse as he got closer to the club; he knew the scent too well. The air smelled like ash, like dead vampires. This was a death trap; he could tell he might as well be sacrificing himself. His powers and abilities were the strongest of almost any vampire. He could take on one or two slayers, and he hoped that's all it was.<p>

The power must have been off because it was so dark. The dark was his advantage because he could see in the dark and mortals couldn't. The club had two doorways separated by a long hallway, presumably for the long line to wind through. There was no movement whatsoever, which was worrying. He cast his mind outwards and found nothing, no one was close enough for him to focus on. He opened the second door and the overwhelming scent of ash and mortals hit him. He could pick up one very distinct scent in the sickeningly thick air. It was a scent that was only slightly different from his mate's.

He growled under his breathe "Ludwig". At the same time, he picked up on Ludwig's thoughts. His animal instincts kicked in. He didn't need to see Ludwig to know where he was. He lunged forward. Ludwig just had time to step back when Ivan came straight at him. Ivan's upper lip curled back and he growled. He knew Ludwig didn't have a chance to win; Ivan was much faster and much stronger. He cleanly swept Ludwig's legs out from under him. There was a sickening crash as Ludwig hit the ground. Ivan wanted nothing more than to tear out the blonde's throat; his vision had turned the most dangerous color red.

He crouched to deliver the final blow, and was stopped by a cross in his face. His instincts made him cringe away from it. He turned away and found another cross in his face. This time he looked up to see who was holding the cross. He recognized the blonde slayer he had run into in Texas a few years ago. He turned around again and looked at the slayer holding the other cross. He knew the boy was Ludwig's partner. In the meantime, Ludwig had stood up and had closed off Ivan's only escape. Ivan felt his heart sink as he realized that he had been beat.

He closed his eyes and projected his mind as far as he could, trying to send Gilbert his feelings of defeat. The dark haired slayer spoke "Don't even try, vamp, your mind tricks aren't going to work on us". Ivan scoffed and tried to look anywhere but at the three crosses "Isn't this the part where you stake me?" Again, it was the dark haired slayer that spoke "No, you don't deserve that kind of mercy. You're going to live your last moments screaming and writhing in agony". Ivan looked around again, trying to look for an escape. He found none and resigned himself to being herded by the three slayers out of the club and into the parking lot. He couldn't stop himself from glancing at Gilbert's car, which was empty.

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><p>Gilbert was hiding within the vicinity of the parking lot, watching closely. He had left the car when he had felt a wave of defeat and anger wash over him. He knew that the emotion was Ivan's and he knew exactly what it meant. He wasn't able to give up on Ivan, even though he knew Ivan was probably dead. That's why he had hidden; if Ivan had lived he wanted to know. For a few minutes, he saw nothing. The thought that Ivan was dead was like a knife in his heart. The minutes on nothing twisted the knife further in.<p>

Then he saw 4 people coming out of the door. Relief washed over him when he saw that Ivan was alive, even if he was surrounded by slayers. Gilbert recognized his brother and Roderich; he didn't know the third slayer. He felt the fervent desire to murder all three of them. It didn't matter that he had once been close to Roderich, or that Ludwig was his brother. That was his last life, before Ivan had killed and revived him. Now he only wanted to kill. He turned and walked away into the night, already forming a plan

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><p><em>AN: Can you say Cliffhanger? XD I am SO sorry that this chapter took forever and a half to get done, I hope it was worth it! Please Review and tell me what you think! _


	4. Chapter 4

Roderich couldn't be any happier with how the night turned out, he had finally captured Ivan. He had been dreaming about this moment for a year. All he wanted now was to watch Ivan die and hear him regret Gilbert's death. But for the time being, he desperately needed sleep. Ludwig decided to stay with Ivan, who they had imprisoned in an underground cell. They kept him in place by blessing the walls and bars of the cell with holy water.

Roderich turned to Alfred and said "Can you and Ludwig handle Ivan by yourself? I'm going to go home". Alfred nodded "Go home and get some shuteye, I can handle the hostile vamp. We can off him tomorrow night if ya want". Roderich nodded "Don't kill him without me, I want to be there". Roderich went up the stairs from where they were keeping Ivan and his heart rose even more. Reality was sinking in for him, Ivan only had a 24 hours left to live.

He drove home and on the way he actually started humming. Nothing was going to bring Gilbert back, but revenge would be sweet. He noticed as he drove up to the house he was renting that all the lights on the street were off. It didn't strike him as strange, he assumed there was just a power outage. Nothing was going to damper his spirit right now and a power outage wasn't going to change that. He pulled up to the house and parked. The house looked the same as it had when he left. He was renting this house for the time he was here, he didn't actually own it or anything in it.

The only thing he owned was a grand piano, which he had brought from Germany. Ludwig had objected to how hard it was to move, but Roderich insisted. When he got inside, Roderich started finding candels. He had an undeniable urge to play piano, something cheerful to represent how he felt right now. He laid out and lit the candles around the room with the piano, with only one on top of the piano.

He started to play from memory, it was easier than carrying around sheet music. He lost track of the notes he was playing and just let his fingers move. He let all his emotions pour into the music: All of his sadness and all of his joy. Most of all he played out his desire for vengeance for the love he lost. He was so lost in the music that he didn't notice when the first candle went out. He was pulled out of the music when the second candle went out. He stopped playing and looked over his shoulder. He saw nothing, except for the empty room behind him.

Then he heard the voice "You shouldn't stop, I like that song. You know I always did". Roderich gasped, he recognized that voice even if it was cold and distorted. His heart felt like it had stopped. He couldn't muster any response, his mind wasn't functioning. He took deep breathes and tried to calm himself. A cold laugh filled the air "Aren't you going to say something clever like you always do?".

Another candle went out behind him, Roderich's hand instinctively went to the cross around his neck. In his mind he was slowly realizing what must have happened that night, and it sickened him. Gilbert must have fallen for Ivan, or the other way around. Either way, it was painful for Roderich to think about. He finally got the nerve to say "You are dead". Gilbert laughed again "Yes I am, and it's better than you could possibly know".

Roderich kept his voice deliberately even, despite the way his heart was bleeding "You would be better off dead". He felt like he would die from the pain of it. He also had no illusions, he was either going to have to kill Gilbert or die. He wasn't sure if he would be able to kill Gilbert, even though he knew he wasn't the same person he was when he was mortal. Roderich thought to himself: _He isn't Gilbert, he's the demon who killed him. I can't have any mercy on him._ His hand tightened around the cross as he realized that it was the only weapon he had on him. There was no possible way he could kill a vampire with only this.

Gilbert spoke again "I watched the funeral, you know. I never thought you would say such interesting things about me". Roderich finally turned around to look at the vampire. He tried to mentally prepare himself for what he was going to see, but it didn't help. Gilbert looked different than he had when he was mortal, but too much was still the same. He looked more handsome, but in a cold predatory way. His eyes had an unnatural shine, and had turned from a faded maroon to bright crimson. He was dressed from head to toe in black, which faded into the darkness of the room.

Gilbert smiled, and it was truly alarming, "From the look on your face, I can tell that you like what you see". Roderich mustered a scoff "You used to be so handsome. Now you look like a-". Roderich's voice faltered and broke, he couldn't say what he wanted to say. Gilbert blew out the last candle, so that only the candle on the piano remained lit. Then the vampire moved faster than the human eye could detect. Within a moment his hand was wrapped around Roderich's cross. He smirked "I look like what?". His hand tightened on the cross, Roderich could tell that the cross was burning the pale flesh, but Gilbert's face betrayed no sign of pain.

The vampire continued to talk "I look like a vampire". With that he easily broke the chain that held the cross and threw the pendant into the darkness. Roderich was aware that he was now defenseless, but he tried to stay composed "You look like a monster". Gilbert laughed again and grabbed Roderich by the neck "But I am a monster, _lieber_". The German word sent chills up Roderich's spine. He had wanted Gilbert to call him that for a long time, but now it felt like a cruel joke.

He tried to stand up, but Gilbert pushed him back against the piano. The keys made a dissonant sound as Roderich was slammed against them. Gilbert smirked again and Roderich could see the bloodlust in it "I used to have a crush on you, you know. Before Ivan found me, I wanted you.". The words twisted Roderich's heart like nothing else possibly could. He snarled back "You're lying!". Gilbert ran his finger over the skin of Roderich's throat "I'm not lying. I used to wonder what your lips taste like, now I can find out". He leaned forward and captured the brunette's lips with his own.

The kiss was predatory and hungry. Roderich knew it was wrong to want this, but he still felt himself kissing back. He felt his lips brush against a sharp point, that he knew was a fang. He felt guilty tears roll down his cheeks, but he still couldn't stop himself. Gilbert pulled away with that same sinister smirk "Now, I'm going to take what I really came for". Roderich was still in a haze from kissing Gilbert, so he hardly comprehended the words until Gilbert said "Where are you keeping Ivan?". Roderich managed a short laugh "I'm not going to tell you that".

Gilbert's hand tightened on Roderich's neck and he hissed "Tell me and I will let you live". Roderich tried to push against Gilbert, only to be pushed harder against the piano. He gritted his teeth and snapped back "You think I want to live knowing that you are like this? I would rather die than know that the only person I loved is a demon!". Gilbert responded coldly "So be it".

Roderich saw it in a distorted kind of slow motion. Gilbert forced Roderich's head back even farther, so that his back was arched in an almost impossible position. Then he bared his fangs and bit down on the exposed neck. The pain rushed through Roderich and he tried to fight back, to no avail. Suddenly, Roderich remembered that he had a small knife in his pocket. The knife was steel, and wouldn't kill a vampire, but there was a possibility he could use it. He let his hands fall to his sides like he had lost all feeling in them. He slipped his right hand into his pocket and pulled out the knife. He was able to reach Gilbert's hand, which was braced against the piano bench.

Quickly, he cut into Gilbert's wrist, enough to get the knife bloody. It was the same trick they had used on Ivan earlier, a vampire didn't notice anything when their senses were completely focused on their prey. He began to feel weak and the edges of his vision blurred. He knew he had already lost too much blood to live, but he was still surprised when Gilbert released him. He was even more surprised when Gilbert pulled him into a hug. He could no longer support his head and it drooped forward onto Gilbert's shoulder.

The vampire whispered in his ear "You should have stayed away after I died. I am sorry it had to end this way. Ich liebe dich". The only thing that Roderich's half dead brain could think was: _He's holding me in his arms, for the very first time. _Slowly, Gilbert laid him gently on the piano bench. Then Gilbert disappeared into the darkness. Roderich took a couple breaths that felt impossible. He knew what he wanted to do and he knew how wrong it was. But his heart overruled his mind. With his muscles burning, he raised the bloody knife to his mouth. Without a second thought, he licked Gilbert's blood from the knife. It tasted repulsive, but he endured it. His vision was going black as he lost what little blood he had left. His last thought before he died was _He said he loved me_

Gilbert fought back emotions as he walked away from the house. He shouldn't have said what he said as Roderich died in his arms. He had loved Roderich, but that was before his heart belonged to Ivan, now he never wanted to love anyone else and he never would. It didn't matter though, Roderich was dead now. There only remained a little cleaning left to do. He flipped open his phone and dialed "911, what is your emergency?". He responded with fake worry in his voice "I heard yelling next door…"

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><p><em>AN: I'm sorry that I'm leaving you hanging on another cliff (ok, maybe I'm not that sorry XD). Anyway, please review and tell me what you think_


	5. Chapter 5

The damp concrete wall was cold against Ludwig's back, he could even feel it through his leather jacket. But his glare was even colder. His eyes were fixed on Ivan, who was sitting on the floor of the cell and glaring back challengingly. He had seen hungry vampires before, but this was different. Usually, the hungry ones were the ones who weren't cut out to be vampires, those who couldn't stand to kill. They slowly starved themselves, since they refused to take human life. They were all skin and bones and hollow eyes. They usually were abandoned by the ones that made them because they were weak. They would track down slayers just to convince them to end it. Ludwig and Roderich had tried to get one to drink animal blood, and they had found that it didn't nourish vampires at all. So the hungry and desperate vampires had no choice but to starve or get staked.

But, Ivan was different. His eyes showed undeniable hunger, but they also showed determination and anger like Ludwig had never seen before. It had been a few hours since Roderich had left, and in the time between Ivan hadn't taken his eyes off of Ludwig. Ludwig finally got somewhat uncomfortable and it made him more angry. Ivan had no right to make Ludwig feel uncomfortable. Ludwig finally broke the stony silence between them "Stop looking at me, fucking vamp". Ivan's eyes didn't leave Ludwig, he also didn't say anything. This, if anything, made Ludwig even madder "What is so interesting?". Ivan fixed his violet eyes on Ludwig's green ones, and he said with cold malice "I was wondering how someone like you could have a brother like Gilbert. He's so clever and graceful, and you are just staggeringly stupid".

Ludwig tried to not react, he knew it was exactly what Ivan wanted, he responded in the flattest voice he could muster "You mean Gilbert was. And you couldn't possibly have gleaned that from what little time it took you to kill him". Ivan's expression changed from hate to amusement and he said "You really don't understand anything, do you? I couldn't have gleaned that from that short time, so how do you think I know?". Ludwig reeled from that statement, he honestly couldn't explain it if he tried. They relapsed into tense silence while Ludwig tried to think of a comeback.

Ivan turned his attention to the cell around him "You really are clueless, you can't see what's right in front of your nose. Gilbert is so much more intuitive than you.". Ludwig got frustrated despite all his attempts to stay clam "Gilbert was! You killed him, you said so. You told me he was dead". Ivan fixed him with a quizzical smile and managed to smirk "Is that what I said? Exactly?". Ludwig responded quickly "No, you said something about his heart no longer beating. What does that matter". Ivan continued to smirk wickedly "That's almost the exact phrasing, that memory must be burned into your mind".

Ludwig gritted his teeth and his hand clenched into a fist "Like you did with a branding iron". Ivan continued as if Ludwig had not interrupted "You missed the point, how essential is a heartbeat? You may have one, but I don't". Then Ludwig understood what Ivan was saying. But he could not, and would not accept it. He didn't let the possibility linger in his mind. He responded slowly in an emotion choked voice "You can't possibly be suggesting….". The disturbing thought was interrupted by the sound of sirens on the street overhead. Ivan looked away from Ludwig for the first time to look up at the noise "I thought you slayers didn't like the authorities". Ludwig looked up at the sirens too "They aren't coming here, they have no reason to".

The sirens got louder and louder. Ludwig glanced one more time at Ivan and then decided the sirens might be coming to them. He walked up the concrete steps from the damp basement, being careful to close and lock the door behind him. He walked outside if the building and stood next to Alfred, who had gone outside to smoke. Alfred spoke in his usual nonchalant tone "It looks like we're gonna have a little visit from the fuzz". Ludwig was, as usual, infuriated by Alfred's complete lack of surprise "But why would they come here? They can't possibly know anything".

Alfred put out the cigarette stub he had been smoking "You think too much on what's possible. Can you ever just relax and accept that the impossible can happen? The point is that the fuzz are getting closer". Ludwig huffed in disapproval "I don't believe in the impossible because it's just that: Impossible.". Alfred pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against "Explain that then". Ludwig was confused for a second and then he saw the police car Alfred was looking at. While they watched, it rounded the corner into the parking lot in front of them. Ludwig glanced at Alfred, who gave him a look that obviously said "I told you so". Then they both looked at the police car and the officer getting out of it.

The officer looked like a walking cliché, middle aged with the beginnings of a sizable beer belly. He walked over to the two of them and quickly flashed a badge at them and said in a voice that was only a half an octave below being laughably high-pitched " I'm looking for Ludwig Beilschmidt". Ludwig took a half step forward "That's me". The officer responded dutifully "I need to take you in for questioning". Ludwig was speechless, so Alfred stepped in "My friend here had the right to know what he's bein' questioned about before he agrees to go with ya". The officer fixed Alfred with a reproachful glare "Don't try to throw legal jargon at me. He isn't under arrest, so he has no such right. But I will tell you anyway. Your partner was found dead two hours ago".

Ludwig didn't understand the words at first. He blinked stupidly for a second, and then it hit him hard. His head started swimming when he realized that Roderich was dead. The brunnette's face swam in front of his eyes, mixed in a grotesque way with Gilbert's. He put his hand to his head in an to attempt to steady himself. The sidewalk underfoot pitched forward and suddenly Ludwig got a glimpse of a starry sky. The world lurched sickeningly again and his vision was filled with the gray mass of sidewalk. He saw a blur that was the same color as Alfred's shoe. He heard Alfred say "Steady!" and it sounded like it was coming from miles away. The world turned black as his head hit the sidewalk.

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><p>Gilbert's feet hurt like hell from walking for miles and miles. He hadn't stopped walking since he had left Roderich's house. His body was invulnerable, but it still hurt from walking so far. He stopped in front of an apparently abandoned colonial style house. He knew that despite the state of disrepair, the house probably belonged to Ivan. It was the kind of place he would buy in case he needed a place to lay low. Gilbert forced himself to walk up to the front door and inside the house. He wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep. But he knew he couldn't stop outside, as soon as the sun came up he would be turned to ashes. It was survival instinct alone that kept him walking.<p>

The first floor was just as deserted looking as the outside. An assortment of pictures and pages from books were torn and scattered across the floor. Gilbert could see a few pieces of half-destroyed antique furniture, the rest of the furnishings were hidden under white sheets. To a trained eye, it all looked too fitting for the setting. It was obviously staged so that it covered up whatever the real use of this house was. Gilbert took little intrest in the house or the fake memorabilia scattered around it. He continued to walk at the same pace through the rooms and down the stairs.

The basement was exactly as he had expected it to be. No day light could get down here when the door was closed, and Gilbert had already closed the door on instinct. The room was furnished sparsly, but with all the essentials. The bed was covered in white sheets and a couple thick blankets. Aside from that, there was a dresser full of nondescript black clothing, as well as an assortment of makeup. Gilbert took off his shirt and rolled it into an untidy ball then threw it to nowhere in particular. He walked over to the bed and sat down with a heavy sigh.

He brought his hand to eye level and looked at the cross burned into his flesh. Ivan would be furious with Gilbert for intentionally harming himself, but it had felt so good at the time. For a few seconds, the searing pain had offset the dull agony in his chest where he felt like his heart had been ripped out. Now he regreted it and hated himself for doing it. He put down his hand and lifted the other. He hadn't noticed the bleeding wound for half an hour after he had killed Roderich. But as the shock and blood lust wore off, he had noticed that blood was running down his fingers. He had torn off part of his sleeve and bandaged the wound to stop it bleeding.

Now he pulled off the bandage and looked at the half healed wound. It was still bleeding, it must have been a deep cut. But Gilbert had no memory of how he had gotten it. He could have waited a little while longer and wait for it to heal on its own, but that would require him to feed. Instead, he walked over to the dresser and pulled out a small sewing kit. He walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He opened the sewing kit and pulled out a needle and a tiny spool of different colored threads. He thought about it for a second and then decided on the white thread.

He threaded the needle carefully and then realized he needed one more thing if he was going to penetrate his skin. He glanced around quickly and saw what he needed. A candle and box of matches was sitting on a small table next to the bed. He leaned over so that he could reach the candle. He lit it swiftly and held the needle over the fire until it was red hot. Then he pressed the needle into the flesh of his wrist. Blood blossomed from the tip on the needle. The pain was so sharp and sudden that it blinded him. The pain shot up his arm from the place he had started the first stitch. He inhaled sharply and his breath hitched for a moment. He gritted his teeth and took a breath in through his nose. He steadied himself enough to push the needle through the other side of the cut and pull the first stitch tight.

He managed five more stitches in the same excruciating fashion, becoming a little more numb to it each time. They weren't professional by any standard, but they would hold the wound together until the excellerated healing process stopped the bleeding. His hands were shaking uncontrollably by the time he tied the knot to hold the stitches. He cut the thread and put the needle down on the table next to the candle. He felt more exhausted than he could ever remember being, it was as if he was tired all the way down to the marrow of his bones. He cradled his wounded arm against his chest and lied down in the most comfortable position he could find.

He closed his eyes, but he couldn't sleep. He was missing the feeling of Ivan's arms around him and the comforting sound of his voice. He imagined Ivan's face and he felt the excruciating pain in his chest where his heart should be. It hurt more than anything he had inflicted on himself thus far. He pulled his legs up to his chest in an attempt to protect the sensitive spot that was causing so much pain. He didn't make a conscious decision to start sobbing, the tears just started pouring out. He couldn't stop himself, and he didn't want to try. The sobs came in sharp painful spasms that made his sides hurt. He continued to sob, even when he ran out of tears. He fell asleep between sobs. The black dreamless sleep was a welcome change from the hellish reality he was stuck in.

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><p><em>AN: Yet again, I am sorry this took so long to get done. Oh and if you are going to point out flaws in Gilbert's logic, remember that he isn't really thinking rationally at the moment. I hope you enjoyed it anyway ^-^ Please review_


	6. Chapter 6

Ludwig woke up on a lumpy brown couch in the police station. He rolled over and somehow found a part of the couch completely devoid of stuffing. He decided to give up on getting anymore sleep. He had no idea how long he had been asleep or what had happened right before. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Then he remembered the run in with the police officer. He remembered why the police had been looking for him and felt like he should pass out again.

That was the second death on his head and he couldn't stand it. He attempted to turn over again and go back to sleep. He shifted and all the lumps in the couch shifted to the other side. Despite how uncomfortable it was, he felt himself drifting back to sleep. Then he felt a hard poke in his side "Yo Ludy! Ya need to wake up now. There was so important stuff goin' down while you were passed out". Ludwig turned over again and opened his eyes to look at Alfred. The blonde looked awful, he had huge dark circles under his eyes and his eyes were red. He was also holding two steaming cups of coffee.

Ludwig sat up and Alfred wordlessly passed him one of the cups. He took a big gulp from it, the hot beverage helped clear his head a little. He took a couple more drinks before asking Alfred "What happened while I was out?" Alfred took a deep breath before saying "First, get some more sleep next time. I mean, how long were you awake? I can't have you passin' out on me again. I talked to the cops and apparently it's gone from a murder investigation to a double homicide investigation".

Ludwig took a few seconds to digest this new information "Who is the other victim?" Alfred looked down at his coffee cup fixedly. Alfred's hand started to shake so badly that the coffee slopped over the edges of the cup. Ludwig was truly unnerved now. Alfred was always unfazed by everything, and now he actually looked distraught. Ludwig reached over and took the coffee cup from Alfred's shaking hand. The motion seemed to break the trance that Alfred was in.

He didn't look up and continued to stare fixedly at his lap "I should have known. I should have fuckin' known. My little brother never should've died 'cause of what I do. Mathew always told me I was too reckless…" Alfred broke down completely and started crying. Ludwig looked over at him and saw himself when he learned about Gilbert. He knew that feeling of loss and utter hopelessness; he also knew the guilt that went with it. It was the most crippling feeling he'd ever experienced, he could only imagine how it was for Alfred.

Ludwig reached out and put his arm around Alfred's shoulders. He spoke slowly and calmly "What exactly happened?" Alfred took several deep breaths before saying "We move around a lot, and Mathew always got these easy to get jobs that he could leave on short notice. He was working at a gas station out on the high way. They found his body a few hours ago. He died of a broken neck, but he also had two clean puncture wounds in his neck. I don't need to tell you what that means". Ludwig knew exactly how that felt. He gave Alfred some credit for being able to recite the details so perfectly. He wouldn't have been able to do the same after he found out about Gilbert.

The door of the room opened and a cop came through it. Ludwig recognized him as the same cop who had told him about Roderich. He looked at the pair of them and said "I'm sorry about your losses but you need to talk so we can figure out how the hell all this shit is related". Ludwig was about to respond when Alfred put up his hand as a signal for him to stay silent. Alfred spoke and he was remarkably composed for what he was going through "We need to talk to your special division for animal control".

Ludwig was utterly perplexed, as was the cop. He cop raised his eyebrow "We only have one guy, some Brit who's crazy about ghosts and spells and shit". Alfred nodded firmly "That will do, I need to talk to him". The cop shrugged "Alright, but you better be ready to open up after that". Ludwig turned to Alfred as soon as the cop left the room "What did you just ask for?" Alfred managed a shadow of his usual smirk "The supernatural division of the police. It's small and underfunded, but they exist for cases involving vampires and such".

The door opened again, this time to admit a smartly dressed blonde man with exceptionally bushy eyebrows. He looked strangely happy, probably glad to finally be needed. He was down on a chair facing them and he spoke with a heavy Yorkshire accent "Hello, my name is Arthur. I don't get called up very often. So, what do you want me to do?" Ludwig let Alfred do all the talking "We have a double killin', most likely the same vamp. We also have his mate locked up in a basement cell for now. He seems to be workin' on revenge".

The other blonde nodded thoughtfully "Slayers, I see. It sounds like you are in over your heads. I'll tell you what; I can give you some help". Alfred bristled at once "What makes you think we need your help? Our problem is we have no idea who the bastard is and you can't help with that". The cop gave him a cold glare "What you need is someone who isn't emotionally involved. But if you don't want my help, I can hand the case back over to the regular coppers and you can explain vampires to them".

Ludwig had to speak before Alfred said something arrogant and stupid "We could use the help; we've lost one of ours already". Alfred responded angrily "I refuse to work with him!" The British man snapped back "Look, Yank, I'm not too fond of the idea either, but it's my job to destroy them and you have gotten a nasty one by the tail". Ludwig tried to break the tension "What do you suggest we do first? We have no leads whatsoever, and we have an angry vengeful vamp out there somewhere".

Arthur tapped a pencil on his knee thoughtfully "Well, if he is after revenge then he will go for you two next. Get a small apartment, live there together; I'll come with you of course. Keep weapons on you at all times. You need to act like bait and I will be there to spring the trap". Alfred looked disgusted "You are suggestin' that I live in the same space as you". Ludwig elbowed Alfred hard in the side "We will take you up on your plan. One other thing, I would like to know exactly what happened to Roderich, I'm sure you can get the case file". Arthur got up "I can see what I can do"

* * *

><p>A sand dry voice droned somewhere off in the distance "Victim's Name: Roderich Edelstein Age: 25 Nationality: German Cause of death: Loss of blood from puncture wounds in the Jugular". He took a deep breath which pulled a white sheet against his face. His mind slowly woke up. He took in the facts one at a time. He knew Gilbert had killed him and he had taken blood from Gilbert's wrist into his system. He remembered dying very clearly, it had been very painful. Right now he was in the coroner's office at a police station.<p>

That left one possibility, the blood had taken and he had become one of them. He opened his eyes and was at once blinded by a vast expanse of white in front of florescent lights. He closed his eyes against the glow. The voice of the coroner continued to drone on. His footsteps against the linoleum floor were as loud as thunder claps. Roderich turned his head slightly towards the voice. Something smelled amazing, like salt and iron, but somehow it sounded delicious in his mind. His throat burned as did the rest of his body. He felt like he had been starving for weeks.

The burning scent of chemicals somehow weakened the scent of blood in the air. It was still like smelling alcohol, or being offered a shot of heroin. He knew he could resist the smell, but he needed a way to get out. Then he heard an uncoordinated sound as the coroner tripped. The man swore under his breathe. Roderich thought nothing of it until he caught the scent of blood even stronger. Part of his mind rationalized that the coroner must have cut himself on something. The scent overwhelmed his senses. His mind went blank and the only thing that existed was the smell of freshly spilled blood. His vision turned bright red then black.

When his mind came back to a rational state, he saw the coroner pinned on the floor beneath him. The man's throat was torn open, but no longer bleeding. Roderich could taste the blood on his tongue. It tasted sweeter than nectar and at the same time thick and salty. The man had no blood left in his body, and there was almost none spilled. Roderich registered that it was a clean kill, but it didn't make him feel any better about it.

He stood up quickly from the crouch he was in. The coroner's eyes stared up blankly at the ceiling, Roderich looked away quickly. His eyes found a mirror on the wall. He was somewhat surprised by the fact that he had a reflection, he had never read anything conclusive on the matter. His violet eyes had turned bright and vibrant, they looked unnatural. His skin had turned deathly pale, which made his hair look even darker. His face had changed slightly so he looked almost beautiful, in a strange masculine way. He should feel disgusted with himself for becoming this, but somehow he couldn't.

He could feel the man's blood coursing through his veins and it felt so good, better than being alive, almost better than sex. Every nerve in his body was singing of it. He closed his eyes for a second and enjoyed the sensation, waiting for it to fade. He knew he should feel guilt, but there was none. When he opened his eyes again he noticed that he didn't have a stitch of clothing on. This, on reflection, made perfect sense because he woke up right before an autopsy. He glanced around for spare clothing, as he couldn't really walk out completely naked and not draw attention to himself.

The only clothing in the room was on the coroner, who seemed to be approximately the same size as Roderich. For the first time he felt a twinge of guilt as he stripped the dead man of his shirts and pants, he left the white coat to give the corpse a little dignity. He looked at the man's ID for a moment and decided to leave it on the body. The guilt started to gnaw at the pit of his stomach. He decided to not linger, he hardly knew where to go.

He knew he should find Gilbert, vampires who tried to go it alone when they were newborns usually died. Gilbert had made him, so he would have the natural instinct to care for him. He read somewhere that vampires were connected to the ones that made them telepathically; he had to hope that was true because he had no other way to find Gilbert. He realized he also didn't have any transportation, although he could walk. He checked the pockets on the pants he had just put on, and pulled out a set of car keys. He smirked, at least now he had transportation and the coroner sure as hell wouldn't need the car again. He walked out to go find Gilbert.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Was that predictable? Maybe a little bit, but it adds an interesting dynamic. I'm sorry this took so long to get done, between the end of school and the massive amount of house work I've been forced to do, I have hardly had time to write anything. The next few chapters will come out a lot faster, I promise. Anyway, please review ^-^ Reviews give me a warm fuzzy feeling that I am even the least bit sucessful_

_Oh and on a similar note: I love fanart! Of course, I don't expect to see any, but if you like my story and are artistically inclined, I would love to see you draw a scene or a cover for my story (especially with this new image/cover thing that fanfiction has). If you do, please PM me the link. _


	7. Chapter 7

Ivan had been alive for centuries, and somehow a few days in a cell had made him lethargically bored. The slayers hadn't been back for at least two days as far as he could tell. He had a ridiculous moment when he pictured himself bouncing a tennis ball against the side of the cell like in a cheesy movie. He chuckled slightly, which caused his bone dry lips to crack painfully. If he had a tennis ball, he would have launched it with all his might at Ludwig's head, and with his strength that would kill the German bastard. Then again, that probably was the reason that Ivan had nothing in the cell with him.

The cell had a pole right in the middle of it. He had propped himself up against it. Since he had been made he hadn't gone so many days without feeding. The feeling of starvation was familiar, yet more painful than he remembered. It made him think of the one who created him, one of the ancient ones from China. One of the few so old that he still possessed the knowledge of how to change into an animal or mist.

His name was Yao; he had been born human in the end Han dynasty, turned when he was 24 years old by a vampire posing as a Buddhist monk. Yao had been a guard in the emperor's court charged with escorting a group of Buddhists from the Indian subcontinent. On the third night of the caravan, the monk seduced all of the guards but Yao and killed them. He got to Yao last; the boy put up a fight, but eventually succumbed. The vampire admired Yao's skill as a warrior and turned him with the intent of having him guard him. The plan backfired when Yao, driven by loyalty to his emperor, ran away and returned to the court. He was driven away by a mob, and forced to sever all his connections in China.

He wandered the Asian continent for centuries, using the Silk Road to travel. During the lifetime of Genghis Khan, he joined the Mongol horde and ravaged across Asia. He ended up settling in with the Golden Horde in Moscow, taking a comfortable position high in the government. That was where he found Ivan, who was a Muscovite prince. Ivan met Yao when the Chinese man came to collect on the taxes. Ivan had been a young pompous fool at the time and he was infatuated with Yao at first sight.

Upon reflection, Ivan realized that Yao only ever saw him as a pretty little amusement. They knew each other for a few weeks and then Yao appeared in Ivan's bedroom one night. Ivan gave himself freely to the other, believing he was about to have the night of his life. It was all going perfectly, until Yao sunk his fangs into Ivan's neck. Ivan somehow had the sheer dumb luck to bite Yao back during the struggle. In that moment Yao somehow decided that he could have more fun with Ivan when he turned him.

But within the first few months, Yao tired of Ivan. He decided he could use Ivan as a subordinate. Ivan, being the proud idiot that he was, would not submit. So, Yao starved him for weeks at a time until Ivan begged to be fed and would do anything to be fed, including submitting to whatever Yao wanted. He quickly grew to despise his life and want a way out of it. Worse, Yao started forcing Ivan to turn his family and household servants. Ivan lost all notion of the value of human life. His escape finally came when the vampire who turned Yao finally tracked him down. Ivan did nothing to protect his "master" as the other vampire brutally took his revenge, the torture he inflicted left Yao so broken that he begged for death, the morning sun granted his wish.

Ivan shook his head sharply, wondering why he remembered that so suddenly. He had been so weak then, and the starving was hell. He knew he was a different person than he was then, he had grown and thrived and become stronger than Yao ever was. He was starving again now, but he could withstand it. What was more important was that he found a way out and found a way back to Gilbert. He looked around; it was all blessed with holy water, so there appeared to be no way out. But, he knew that holy water faded over time. If the slayers continued to neglect him, he would be able to break out soon. Then he would wreak havoc on those three slayers, especially the dark haired one.

Ivan suddenly heard footsteps on the cement stairs. Three blonde men came down the stairs. He smirked "Two of you I was expecting. But you" he pointed to the shorter man with the thick eyebrows "I have not seen before. Who are you and where is the black haired idiot?" A grimace passed over Ludwig's face, Ivan felt a small wave of curiosity. The short man spoke "He's dead. Died the same night these two brought you here".

Now Ivan was intrigued, this was too convenient to be anything but a vampire's work. Could Gilbert possibly do that? Ivan could already answer that. He had made a killer the night he made Gilbert, and he would have been angry enough that night to do it. Ivan laughed, which drew puzzled looks from all 3 of the men "You don't realize how deep you've gotten in, do you?" Alfred responded "It's the three of us against one of him. We will track him down and kill you in front of him, and then I'm personally going to rip his fuckin' heart out". Ivan became more amused "Oh my, the redneck is angry. What did he do, step on your cowboy boots?"

Alfred walked up to the bars of the cage before saying "He killed my brother. I bet you don't even remember Mathew". Ivan thought back, the boy Gilbert killed at the gas station did look quite a bit like the slayer. He dramatically pretended to have an epiphany "I do remember, the boy at the gas station. He looked just like you. He begged, like a dog". He could see the man's temper rise; human emotion was so easy to tap into. Arthur stepped forward and put his hand on Alfred's shoulder "Don't rise to the bait, that's exactly what he wants". Alfred took a few steps backwards, keeping his eyes fixed on Ivan.

Ivan laughed again and looked at Ludwig "Do you really think you could kill him. Could you stand one more death on your head?" Ludwig's jaw clenched "The only deaths that bother me are the ones that I knew. I wouldn't give a fuck about killing your mate". Ivan laughed again "I know, and that's why you will care and why you won't be able to do it". The shorter blonde stepped in again "Enough bloody bullshit. Who is he?"

Ivan leaned forward "He's…" he stopped theatrically "Oh my, I can't remember, my mind has gone fuzzy. I may remember if I am fed". It wasn't true, but he needed blood and the slayers may just be soft enough to give it to him. Alfred scoffed "Do you think that we would kill to have your information". Ivan smirked, causing his lips to crack even more "I know you will, because you are desperate". Ludwig looked at Ivan with disgust "You would turn your mate over to us for just a little blood". This didn't stop Ivan's smirking "Just because you know who he is doesn't mean you can find him. You've known the facts that can lead you to him for a long time".

Ludwig took a couple steps forward, as if about to say something, but he stopped short. Ludwig took a deep breath before saying "You're just messing with my head to get what you want. I'm not going to listen to your lies". Ivan thought for a second about that tennis ball and how he would love to use it to kill the idiots. He watched them walk away and noted that they forgot to bless the cell again. Ivan smirked; he would be getting out soon.

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><p>Roderich drove nearly blindly, following nothing but the tugging sense in the back of his mind. Each turn was sudden and jerky. The car whined in protest, it was rather old and probably had a few lose belts judging by the way it was groaning and squeaking. He also wasn't doing the old gears any favors with the erratic way he was driving. In the middle of a small road, the car made its final protest. The old car ground to a shaky stop. Roderich's temper exploded, he swore at the car and brought his hands down as hard as he could against the wheel.<p>

The rigid plastic steering wheel broke in half at once. He looked at his hands in surprise, he knew vampires were strong, but he didn't know that they could do it without knowing. He hadn't meant to hit the wheel that hard, it just happened. He realized that the car was now useless, even in the very unlikely event that he was able to get it started. He should have stolen a more functional car, now his only choice was to walk. He turned and kicked the door out with so much force that the window shattered and the door was thrown back, breaking the hinges, and into the side of the car.

He started walking into the night, not sure where he was going. The road ran along the outskirts of the city, it was deserted and the side was littered with tiny houses that looked like they hadn't been lived in for a long time. This was not the kind of place Gilbert would hide, he felt it. He still needed to walk a long way. His footstep rang out loudly against the pavement, which was grooved and rutted. Suddenly he heard a car engine roar loudly behind him. He turned to see a red convertible pull up next to him. A boy with thick brown hair and dazzling green eyes leaned over and said "Do you need a ride, newborn?"

Roderich blinked stupidly for a moment. He should have realized the boy was a vampire, firstly by the fact that he looked about 18, secondly by the distinct lack of the smell of human blood. Roderich thought about it "I don't really know where I'm going, just who I'm going to find"; the boy smiled genially "We can deal with that, we are just passing through town". Roderich leaned over to look at the other man in the car, who looked to be at least 15 years, the boy's senor. He had short black hair and exceptionally tan for a vampire. He also did not look happy about the idea of giving Roderich a ride.

Roderich felt slightly uneasy about the older vampire, but he got into the back of the car. The engine roared again, and to Roderich it was comforting to hear a healthy car. The wind whipped through his hair as the car sped down the road. The silence became uncomfortable and the boy in the front seat turned around and started talking "So, have you killed yet?" He asked the same way a teenage girl would ask if he had kissed someone yet. Roderich felt uncomfortable discussing it and said simply "Yes I have", before the boy could pry further, Roderich said "So, what's the story with you two?"

The boy leaned over the seat further and a silver necklace swung over the seat. The pendant was a cat with jade eyes. The boy talked in a lazy voice "Well, it requires quite a bit of historical knowledge, I will try to cover it. Sadiq, my mate, was the son of a noble in the Ottoman Empire, which existed in the area that's now called Turkey until World War One. He was turned when he was 33 by". The boy waved his hand lazily "Oh what was it again? I forget the story". Sadiq responded tersely "It was a spice merchant from India".

The boy nodded "Yes that was it. But Sadiq stayed in his father's home, feeding on the harem. By the disappearance of the girls, his father judged that he had less conventional taste. He sent to a friend in Greece, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. His friend was a slave trader. It wasn't an unusual profession, as the Ottoman army was made up of Christian slaves, called Janissaries. Although finding a boy for the purpose Sadiq's father asked was a little unusual. The slave trader found me in a small village. I was 8 years old at the time. Sadiq kept me for 10 years, treating me to every comfort and luxury. I guess he was waiting for me to be old enough".

He turned to the other man as if looking for him to chip in on the conversation. He got no such response, the other man simply kept driving the car tensely. They zoomed past a scruffy looking hitchhiker on the road and all three of them caught the scent of the man's blood. The boy said suddenly "Stop". The car skidded to a sudden stop and the boy ambled out with a cheeky smile. He quickly disappeared into the night, walking in the direction of the hitchhiker.

As soon as he was gone, Sadiq turned to Roderich and said with ice in his voice "If you so much as touch Heracles, I will make sure your second life is very short. He is mine". Roderich very much doubted that Sadiq was bluffing. This jealousy and possessiveness was so much stronger than he had ever seen in a human couple. He couldn't help but wonder if this was typical of vampires. Was this how it was for Gilbert and Ivan? It would certainly explain why they protected each other so fiercely. But with this strong of bond, perhaps it would be impossible for him to seduce Gilbert the way he planned to.

Roderich responded "I love the one who made me". Sadiq scoffed "The feeling obviously isn't mutual, or he wouldn't have left you out here by yourself". They lapsed into prickly silence until Heracles returned. The Greek was in a much less talkative after the stopped, he acted rather like a cat that had just had a saucer of cream and was lounging in a patch of sun. He lounged lazily in the seat and drifted in and out of sleep.

Roderich attempted to strike up conversation again "So, do you worry about humans finding out about what you are and doing something?" Heracles laughed sleepily "You mean slayers. They're way out of their league. It takes a few of them to bring down even one of us". Roderich tried not to show how much this statement hurt his pride. He had thought that vampires had at least some fear of slayers.

He changed the subject again "Did you ever feel guilty about killing?" Heracles nodded "Yeah, at first I couldn't stand it. I was so temperamental. I called Sadiq a monster and told him I hated for making me like him. And I ran away many times. But I learned a killer instinct".

Roderich instincts suddenly reacted to something, and he said "Stop, I need to get out right here". They car skidded to a stop again in front of an abandoned looking colonial house. Roderich thanked the pair of vampires, directing most of the thanks at Heracles, and then he got out of the car and walked towards the house. He knew this was where he was going to find Gilbert. He felt a strange sense of calm as he opened the front door and walked in to confront his maker


	8. Chapter 8

Some time during the few days he was asleep, Gilbert slipped into a dream. He was walking through a house, which seemed to be unimportant at first. Then Gilbert realized that it was the house he and his brother had lived in when they were younger. Neither of them had been back in years, it seemed strange that Gilbert had somehow found himself here. He remembered where his room was and something told him that's where he needed to be. Something was waiting there for him; he just didn't know what it was yet.

He continues to walk until he reached the door of the room. The wood was scarred exactly the way he remembered it being when he was younger. He had never known where those scars had come from, but they look like a giant wolf had clawed at the wood. The door was rose wood, so it was slightly red where the door was scratched. Once he got there, he wrenched it open. Ivan was standing next to Gilbert's bed looking down at something that Gilbert couldn't see from the position he was in. He practically ran to Ivan, glad to see his lover again. After only a few hours of separation and worry, Gilbert's misery was unbearable. Seeing Ivan, even in a dream state, was greatly comforting. He threw his arms around Ivan's tall shoulders and Gilbert pulled himself up enough to reach Ivan's lips.

Ivan took dominance and connected their lips aggressively. The kiss was so hard and hungry that their fangs clicked together painfully. Neither of them seemed to mind either, they were too lost in the passion of seeing each other again. Gilbert basked in the feeling of having Ivan's lips pressed against his with so much passion. His body was made hypersensitive by the dream state that he was in; every touch was sparks of pleasure. It was almost impossible to pull away, even for a second, but Gilbert's curiosity got the best of him. He pulled away slowly, a thin line of saliva stretching between their mouths, which only broke when Gilbert turned his head to look down at the bed.

Someone was lying on the bed, their chest hardly moving the person, whoever they were, was barely alive. Gilbert couldn't tell who they were because they had a sheet over their face. But, he didn't have to look far for the reason behind the current state of the person's health; fang marks were obvious on the man's exposed neck. The skin was white as porcelain, obviously from loss of blood. Gilbert also noticed that the man's wrists were bound to the sides of the bed with loose pieces of rope. Ivan gently grabbed Gilbert around the waist and whispered in his ear "You can finish him off, my pet". Gilbert leaned down and took the wrist in his hand; he was about to bite when something stopped him. He wanted to see his victims face before he struck the final blow.

He pulled off the sheet to reveal a face he recognized. Roderich looked up at Gilbert and said "How can you do this to me Gilbert? I loved you!" Gilbert's heart twisted in his chest, pounding painfully against his breastbone. It hadn't felt like this when he had actually killed his childhood acquaintance. Or perhaps they had been more then that when they were children, more than that for both of them. It was as if all the guilt that he left behind when he was turned was suddenly returned. He stepped backwards from the bed; he couldn't kill Roderich again with him looking up like that.

Ivan appeared right behind him and whispered in his ear "Come now, Gilbert. You can do this. You have so many times before. How is this different?" He didn't know what to say, or what to do. He wanted to impress his mate, but he just couldn't do it again. The guilt he hadn't experienced for a year was agony, he just couldn't do it. What he really wanted to do was run from the room. Roderich continued to say, "How can you do this?" while Ivan continued to whisper in his ear "You can do it". The words merged together and turned into a strange litany that plagued him. He clapped his hands over his ears and tried to drown out the sound. It didn't stop, if anything, both of the voices got louder. He dropped to his knees and whimpered, "Stop! Just stop!"

* * *

><p>Gilbert woke with a start, his head reeling. He wasn't able to sit up, none of his muscles seemed strong enough to move. His stomach felt like it was doing backflips, even though he hadn't fed in what felt like days. He mustered enough strength to turn on his side. At first he saw a pair of black clad knees that he didn't recognize. With some effort, he looked up and saw a somewhat dirty white, collared shirt.<p>

He looked up further and saw a pair of brilliant violet eyes in a pale face framed by jet-black hair. The shock of seeing that face again sent Gilbert's irregular heart racing. He hissed feebly between his teeth "Haunt me no longer spirit!" He tried to back away, but was far too weak to get far. The ghost reached over and grabbed Gilbert wrist firmly. Gilbert weakly attempted to pull away, but he couldn't. His head was still spinning sickeningly. His body felt too weak and his mind passed from all logic into the madness of pure animal survival instincts.

* * *

><p>Roderich had been watching Gilbert for about an hour before the albino had woken up. Roderich had finally come to terms with what he had found when he had entered the basement. Gilbert was shirtless and surrounded by bloodstained sheets. A series of self-inflicted wounds were obvious and still bleeding on Gilbert's torso. It looked like Gilbert had clawed at his own skin. Roderich very much doubted that Gilbert had been conscious of the fact that he was doing it. But the blood was still disproportionate. Gilbert's face was also covered in blood. A fact that Roderich had read once surfaced in his mind. Vampires cried tears of blood. It was a kind of natural way of weeding out the weak vampires who felt guilt. If a vampire cried every time they killed, they would quickly starve from blood loss. Gilbert looked like he had cried a river of blood, presumably because he missed Ivan.<p>

But the combined blood loss had made Gilbert extremely starved. It was obvious that Gilbert was extremely starved; his eyes were ringed with dark black circles. The bones of his face were sharp against his skin. When Gilbert woke up, Roderich noted that the albino was extremely weak. The amount of blood he had lost left Gilbert close to death, if it continued he would die within a few hours. Roderich needed to act quickly if he was going to save Gilbert's life. He needed blood, and he needed it fast. Without a second thought, Roderich went up the stairs and out of the door.

On the way in, he had noted a group of delinquents outside of one of the adjoining houses. They weren't exactly the best stock, but any blood would get Gilbert into a better state. Roderich walked over to the group, who were laughing, drinking and smoking. Without even a moment of guilt, Roderich smiled slyly at the first boy who looked at him. He didn't have time to seduce the boy the classic way. His desire to help Gilbert overwhelmed his mind. He willed the boy to come back with him, and as quickly as possible. The boy's whole demeanor shifted, his eyes locked onto Roderich's.

He led the boy back to the house and down to the basement. The boy was completely complacent; it was easy to get him to do anything. But, Roderich knew that as soon as the boy was bitten, he would become aware of the situation. Roderich couldn't afford to deal with the boy struggling when Gilbert was as weak as he was. While the boy was still under the influence of Roderich's mind control, Roderich carefully bound the boy's hands and feet. Then he moved the boy over to the bed next to Gilbert. Gilbert stirred slightly, pulling himself towards the smell of blood. Roderich could tell that Gilbert only needed one more push to feed.

The smell of blood through the skin was strong, but it was not strong enough to push Gilbert to kill in his weakened state. Roderich looked around for something sharp enough to break the skin. If Roderich were to bite the boy, he might be carried away by the taste of blood. He noticed a needle on a table next to the bed; he picked it up and pierced the skin of the boy's neck. As soon as the needle broke the skin, the boy started struggling. Roderich planted his hand in the middle of his back. Gilbert growled animalistic and put all his remaining strength into sinking his fangs into the boy's bleeding neck.

* * *

><p>Gilbert's ability to think returned as the blood flooded his system, and he registered the fact that Roderich had just allowed him to kill and live. Roderich should be dead; Gilbert didn't understand how he could be here. He was not an angel; angels don't care about monsters that have to kill to live. That left very few options, because Gilbert was absolutely sure he had killed Roderich, he had been lucid at that point. At least he knew that it wasn't a spirit sent back to haunt him, a spirit wouldn't have helped him live. He needed to know what happened, and he needed to know as soon as possible. There was one way to find out.<p>

Gilbert used his newly regained strength to grab Roderich around the back of the neck and pulled him down onto the bed. He pinned the other down next to the body of the boy he had just killed and sunk his fangs into Roderich's neck. From the taste, he knew that somehow the brunette had become a vampire. This made it possible for Gilbert to access all of Roderich's memories, including the night he died. The rush of pictures and feelings confirmed how Roderich had become a vampire and why he did it. Gilbert broke away from Roderich when he felt he understood what had happened. Roderich was looking up at Gilbert patiently, waiting for Gilbert to understand.

Those violet eyes were so impassive, it made Gilbert very uncomfortable. Those eyes may be the same color as Ivan's, but they were so different. Gilbert remembered that this was the man who had taken Ivan away from him. He wanted to rip out those eyes; they reminded him too much of Ivan and Roderich had no right to look like Ivan. The middle of his chest starting aching again, this was a laughable excuse for Ivan. Fate was playing a cruel joke on him by sending Roderich instead of Ivan. Roderich, no doubt, expected to be able to take Ivan's place as Gilbert's lover. Gilbert wouldn't allow that.

He shoved Roderich off the bed as hard as he could. The newborn was able to catch himself, but just barely. Gilbert had recovered his strength remarkably quickly and it was amazing that Roderich wasn't at all injured. Regardless, Roderich got the message. He wasn't wanted here, especially with the unnerved way Gilbert had looked at him. He thought about the way that Sadiq and Heracles had been attached to each other. Ivan and Gilbert must be the same way, or else Gilbert would not have reacted so violently. Roderich wished he had killed Ivan before he had been turned, then Gilbert wouldn't have the hope that Ivan would come back.

He looked at Gilbert again, who was now sprawled out on the bed, his wounds now healing very quickly. Roderich contemplated his options. Gilbert was recovering, but he still needed more blood. If he had enough blood in his system, Gilbert might become blood drunk and do things that he might not normally do. It was the same effect as a human having too much alcohol; he would lose all his inhibitions. That was the only way that Roderich might get Gilbert to forget Ivan for at least a moment. He knew that the people the first boy had been with were probably still there, and they would be a plentiful enough blood supply. Roderich wondered in a disconnected way why he was not disturbed by the amount of killing that his plan called for, but his feelings for Gilbert were overwhelmingly strong. He walked out again with one thing in mind.

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><p>Arthur was up late at night searching on his laptop, he was using the databases connected to the police agency. The supernatural division was small and rather underfunded, but they still kept exceptionally complete records. Arthur ranked finding out who Ivan's mate is as the most important thing he needed to do to end the killing spree. He compiled the evidence that he had on the vampire so far. The man had to have disappeared in the last year, was German, and had to be somewhat attractive. He searched the missing person files from Germany in the last year. He found quite a few hits, but almost all of them were drug addicts, prostitutes, and teenage delinquents. The kind of person that Ivan would attract would be out of the ordinary for a missing person, and there was nothing there.<p>

Arthur changed his search. The supernatural division also kept a record of empty casket burials, which were usually family's reactions to supernatural disappearance. This yielded very few results, but one definitely stood out. He clicked on the file; it matched the description almost exactly. One thing in particular stood out about this file. Arthur jumped when he heard footsteps behind him; he turned to see Alfred standing in the doorway. Alfred yawned "What the 'ell are ya doin' up this late?" Arthur said coldly "I was looking for our man and I think I've found him".

Alfred took a second to comprehend what Arthur had said, "You did? I'll go wake Luddy". Arthur stopped him "You can't do that!" Alfred turned back to Arthur "What are ya talkin' about? He's been in this since the beginnin'". Arthur sighed and beckoned to Alfred "Come look at this and you'll understand". Alfred shrugged and walked over to the computer and looked at the file. There were a few seconds of silence, and then Alfred said "Oh My Gawd". Arthur was rather unfazed; he had no emotional connection to any of this. From a simply clinical point of view, the suspect made perfect sense. Alfred looked away from the haunting picture of the man on the screen and said "In this case, Ludwig needs to know and as soon as possible".

Arthur grabbed Alfred's wrist "No, you don't understand how this would effect him". Alfred tried to pull away again. Arthur thought quickly to keep Alfred from waking the German; he pulled the American into a badly aimed kiss. He ended up kissed the corner of Alfred's mouth, instead of the lips, as he had been aiming for. But either way, his distraction worked. The American didn't resist when Arthur kissed him again, this time on the lips. Arthur had meant for the distraction to just be a kiss, but he found himself enjoying the kiss so much that it became more than that. He pulled the American against his body. The two of them lost control to the suppressed lust. The laptop got closed and put aside. The entire idea of telling Ludwig about what Arthur had found was forgotten. Before long, the two of them were on the floor, pulling off each other's clothing.

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><p><em>AN: Just because I love you guys so much, I downloaded Word on my travel computer. Actually, I downloaded it to do homework. But I still love you guys enough to give you a new chapter. I feel like this one sucks, but maybe you will like it. Please review ^-^_


	9. Chapter 9

Ivan stood up for what felt like the first time in weeks, he could feel the blessing give way. It was as though a constricting band had been lifted from his chest. He walked over to the bars, his heart set on throwing them as far away as he could. Being cooped up had not taken a toll on his strength, but the hunger had. No matter, he could still do considerable damage. He was about to grab them when he heard the footsteps. The shorter blonde with the British drawl descended the stairs and walked up to the cell.

Ivan smirked when he noticed a red mark on the man's neck "Nice love bite, although mine are usually a bit harder. Let me guess, that Texan? I saw the way you looked at him." The Brit nodded stiffly "Yes, but what's between us is not of concern to you". Ivan laughed slightly "Of course it is, I have very little entertainment stuck here. He's cute, in a hick sort of way. Not really my type, though". Arthur's glare got colder "I know what your type is, you sick bastard. Does this sound familiar: 5'11, red eyes, white hair, porcelain skin, tastes a bit like slayer? Or do you need a name to jog your memory?" Ivan didn't really care that the mortals knew "So, you know about him? It took you long enough". Arthur snarled "That is so fucking sick! He is the brother of a slayer. I haven't told Ludwig yet".

Ivan's senses picked up and he said with a smirk "You don't need to tell him, he has been standing behind that wall the whole time we have been talking". He smelled the emotions change, it was amazing. Ludwig was behind Ivan, but he could hear the emotion in his voice "That's it then? Gilbert?" Ivan turned around and glared at Ludwig "Yes it is. He's beautiful you know". This had the effect that Ivan intended, rage washed over Ludwig's blonde framed face. He looked at Ivan with a new kind of malice and he uttered "You changed my brother?"

Ivan laughed again; this was the revenge he had wanted. Now he could deliver the blow he wanted to "You did. The moment you came into the world you didn't belong in. You brought him into my world, so I could have him. You brought him to me and I just couldn't resist". Ludwig made a sound like a dog that had just been kicked. The emotion changed again, the air was thick with guilt. Ludwig's eyes dropped defeatedly, he didn't say a word. It was the Brit who stepped in "Don't listen to a word he says, he is trying to hurt you". The German turned wrathfully to the other mortal "How can I trust you?"

He walked quickly around the cell to be face to face with the Brit. He spat "You knew and you didn't tell me. You let him-"He gestured at Ivan, who was watching joyfully "Tell me about Gilbert. My own brother". Ludwig took another step closer "I trusted you". Ivan spotted the perfect opportunity. There was a chink in the bond between the two of them. He focused his mind on Ludwig's, whispering sweetly in his mind "He betrayed you. You can't trust him. You need to hurt him". He injected some of his own hate into Ludwig's mind. The slayer growled like an animal and took the last step between them and raised his fists "You betrayed me".

Arthur took a couple hurried steps backwards "I'm sorry, just calm down". Arthur's eyes drifted over to Ivan, who had his eyes locked on to Ludwig, and he understood. Arthur took another step back to avoid Ludwig's swinging fist "Ludwig, come to your senses! Ivan is feeding you this resentment. You need to block him out!" But Ludwig's eyes had clouded over with hate; he was under Ivan's control now. Ivan was laughing; he loved watching the carnage unfold. He was going to love watching one of his enemies tear the other apart. Then he would feed on Ludwig when he was overcome with guilt over the death of his partner. After that, he would find Gilbert and fuck him harder than he had ever before, his body tingled a bit just thinking about it. He had spent most of the time he was trapped thinking about what he would do once he had Gilbert in his arms again. The only thing that was standing in the way was how long it was taking Ludwig to land a blow.

Arthur ran out of space to retreat, he looked desperate. He tried to reason again "Ludwig, wake up! You don't want to hurt me". Ivan smirked and knew he could speak out loud now "He can't hear you, his mind is mine". The statement was true; Ivan had complete control of the slayer. He need only have him deliver the killing blow. Ludwig pulled out a knife he had in his jacket pocket and lunged forward. Arthur raised his hand instinctively and suddenly the room was full of light.

Ivan came to his senses on his back on the other side of the cell. He reeled, he hadn't been expecting that. He looked over at Arthur, who still had his back to the wall and arm up. A mark was glowing on his wrist. Ivan laughed at the pure inconvenience of it "Well, well, it looks like there is more to you than meets the eye." Ludwig had been thrown back a couple feet by the blast, and struck his head against the concrete floor. He clutched his head as he sat up "What the hell was that?!"

Ivan answered "That was druid magic, powerful stuff too. Haven't seen anything that strong in a long time". Arthur pulled himself out of the corner and tried hurriedly to cover up the pentagram that had appeared on his wrist. Ludwig blinked for a few seconds, and then he looked at Ivan "You were in my head". Ivan laughed, mostly to disguise how disappointed he was about the failure of his plan, "A word of advice: If you're going to be a slayer, don't let people inside your head so easily. It was so easy, just like with Gilbert". Ludwig looked livid, but controlled his voice "So that's how you seduced my brother? You got inside his head?" Ivan smirked, rationalizing was so very human, and he said "Isn't that sweet? You want to believe that Gilbert was innocent. Let me break it to you, his soul was black before I touched him. The seduction was mutual".

Arthur was backing up the stairs slowly, trying to get away while Ludwig was distracted. Ivan wasn't going to let him. He raised his voice and leaned forward against the bars "You know, druid magic that powerful usually comes from human sacrifice. But then again, someone as good as you wouldn't do that". Ludwig's expression changed to utter outrage when he looked at the other blonde. Arthur looked like a deer in the headlights, then he turned and ran up the stairs, Ludwig followed at the same speed.

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><p>Alfred drove up just as Arthur burst out of the door. He immediately opened the car door and stepped out in front of the Brit. He could see that Arthur was distressed; he attributed it to Ivan at once. He caught the man in his arms "Woah, slow down, darlin'! What's goin' on?". Ludwig came rushing out of the door at that moment, and stopped as soon as he caught the sight of the other two. He skidded to a stop and growled "Step away from him, Alfred. He's been lying to us both!" Alfred looked down at Arthur, who looked utterly terrified. He felt he understood what was going on "So, he knows about his brother?"<p>

Ludwig looked like he'd been struck again "You knew too? You both knew and neither of you told me". The American nodded "Yeah, I thought ya'd take it a bit better than this though. We wanted to make sure it was actually him first". Ludwig bowed his head for a moment to absorb the information and his rage returned when he looked up "I understand that. But that's not the lie." he raised his hand and pointed accusingly at Arthur "He is a druid!" Alfred, who along with tracking down vampires also dealt quite a lot with humans who practiced magic, understood what that label meant at once. He released Arthur as though he was something diseased.

As soon as Arthur was free, Ludwig grabbed him. There was no way that Arthur was going to be able to break free of Ludwig's grip. The German grabbed Arthur's arm and turned it over so the pentagram was visible "So, Alfred, what does this mean". Arthur cringed when Alfred ran his thumb over the mark. Alfred recognized what it meant, but he took a few seconds to put it into words "This kind of brand is created by drawing with the blood of a human sacrifice. It creates a very powerful kind of magic". Ludwig's face went stony "Who were they?" Arthur was surprisingly calm "I never knew. Some drifter". Ludwig growled "Let me guess: Society was better off without them? That's the one vampires always use. You're no better than them".

Alfred felt the need to correct "No Ludwig, there is a difference. A vampire can never regain his soul, but a druid can reform. And I'm guessing that's what Artie did or he wouldn't be here". Relief washed over Arthur's face and he said "Yes, that's it exactly. I didn't tell you because I knew what you would think of me. I've been off of it for 6 years". The German didn't seem impressed "I don't think 6 years of good behavior makes up for killing". Arthur responded "But that's why I chose to do what I do. To save lives by destroying vampires and werewolves and whatever other monsters lurk in the night". Alfred fixed his gaze on Ludwig "Let him go, we can let him explain".

Ludwig looked as though that was the last thing he wanted to do "Alfred, you aren't just saying this because you fucked him, right?" Alfred nodded "I will trust him enough for an explanation. If he wanted to, he could have killed us both by now". He added in his own mind _Or he could have made me his thrall last night. _Reluctantly, Ludwig released Arthur "Alright, we will hear this back at the apartment, this isn't the right place".

Once all 3 of them were in the car, Arthur looked back at the door for a moment, puzzled "Just a moment, was it my imagination, or was that vamp leaning on the bars?" These words hung in the air for a moment, and then the meaning behind them hit everyone: The cell was no longer blessed. It was Alfred who came out of this shock quick enough to hit the gas hard.

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><p>The sounds of the scuffle outside were amusing to Ivan, it wasn't the fight he had planned, but it worked the same way. No one had remembered to bless the cell again, and now all of the original blessing had worn off. Ivan took hold of the bars and threw them clear across the room. It felt so good to be free again, now he could take out his vengeance. He heard the car speed out of the parking lot, it was mildly disappointing. He had hoped to be able to kill all three of them tonight. But he would get his chance eventually; he had other things he wanted to do at the moment.<p>

He closed his eyes and focused his mind on finding Gilbert. His head spun a bit from thirst, but all the same he was able to send a signal to his mate. He had a place in mind to meet, hopefully it worked. The night was short already and they only had so much time.

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><p>Gilbert looked out the window into the night; his head was full of Ivan's thoughts. He knew his mate was free, that he was to go to him and where they were to meet. But he had one problem, one brunette problem that was asleep on the bed in the basement. He could kill Roderich, it would be easy. He had thought about it, ever since Roderich had shown up. He needed to do it now or else he would never be able to just be with Ivan. He knew there was some small part of him that was still human enough to love Roderich. It was irritating to know it was there, like a grain of sand against sensitive skin. He wanted it gone. Human love was a weakness; it was different to need Ivan. There was only one way to effectively purge the part, and that was to kill the person it was connected to.<p>

He turned and walked down the stairs. The scene had not changed, there were bodies of several different boys scattered across the floor. It had taken a lot of blood to get Gilbert back to operating capacity, since he had pretty much cried himself dry. Looking back on it, he was ashamed of how irrational he had been. Ivan would be livid, after he had sacrificed himself.

Not to mention making Roderich a vampire, that was his biggest mistake. The afore mentioned vampire was asleep on the bed. His attempt to get Gilbert blood drunk had failed, but just only. Thankfully, newborns weren't awake for as much of the night as older vamps. Roderich was pretty much a sitting duck now; he wouldn't wake for anything save fire. Gilbert grabbed a wooden chair and broke off the arm. The jarring force created a point that would be sharp enough. He walked over to the bed and positioned the stake directly over the brunette's heart. One hard shove would turn him to dust, it was simple.

But it wasn't, he couldn't help but look at Roderich's face. The human part of him wouldn't let him watch Roderich die again. His dream kept flashing in front of him, the phantom guilt lingered over him. He thought this was gone, these human emotions. He tried to drive the stake down one more time, but his body didn't seem to be reacting how his mind wanted it to. He couldn't do it. Instead, he put the stake down and grabbed a pair of handcuffs. He fastened them around the other's wrist and then around the bed post. They wouldn't hold him for long, but it would be long enough. If he couldn't kill Roderich directly, he would do it indirectly.

He went back up the stairs, taking with him the box of matches he had used before. He dropped a couple of matches on the sheets covering the furniture as he walked out. Once he was out of the front door, the house had begun to blaze. It wasn't guaranteed to kill Roderich, but it would make it damn clear that he couldn't follow Gilbert. Gilbert hoped that this would make him free to be with Ivan and only Ivan. With that thought, he headed out into the night to meet his mate

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><p><em>AN: Wow it's taken me a long time to get a chapter of this done. Sorry about that. With the school year starting, it is going to be hard to update as quickly as I did during the summer. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review ^-^_


	10. Chapter 10

Ivan walked through the sea of people and color, deliberating ignoring almost everything. He really wished that people could keep their noise pollution inside, but they insisted on having these street festivals too. The sound, the lights, and the crowds all ruined the natural beauty of the night. He couldn't begrudge this one too much though; it was easy to disappear into. These sorts of things were also always a kind of orgy set to rock and roll and the pounding of footsteps, so it was easy to find a meal or two. Ivan had already had three dancers and his mind was much clearer. He no longer felt starved and he had regained all of his old senses.

He couldn't yet see his mate, but he could smell him. Even in this crowd of people, Gilbert's unique scent mixed with the pheromones that a sex-starved vampire naturally produced drifted over the crowd. It was so sensual and completely irresistible. It was his mate's call to him and he needed it. Weaving his way through the crowd of people was almost too slow for Ivan to stand. He could sense how close he was now. A few more steps and he saw his mate. Gilbert was dressed in almost all black and all leather. He was leaning casually against a wall, looking out at the crowd of dancing people with an impatient look on his face.

His whole demeanor shifted when he caught Ivan's scent. He stretched his neck back, as if he was feeling invisible kisses on the skin, his eyes half closed. Ivan could also tell from the slight shift in body position that other parts of his mate's body had reacted as well. Gilbert turned his head in Ivan's direction and opened his eyes fully. Their eyes locked and Ivan poured himself into the other's mind. _Come to me, my pet. _Gilbert responded with a tiny smirk and pushed himself away from the wall. It took Gilbert a couple seconds to get to his mate in the crowd. Their eyes remained locked, even as Gilbert navigated his way between people.

Then he was right in front of Ivan. He leaned closer and whispered in Ivan's ear "Does this remind you of the night we met?" His voice was rough, with an undertone of playful innocence. Ivan could tell his mate was restraining himself to keep from asking to be fucked right then and there. But Ivan was hardly in the mood for these games, he didn't say a word in response. Instead, he seized his mate around the waist and pulled him into a kiss. There was no restraint in the way their lips molded together, nor was there any pretense of softness. All the same, it felt so perfect.

Ivan's tongue ghosted over one of Gilbert's fangs. The albino shivered. Gilbert's sensual scent was overwhelming; humans would never be able to produce cologne that had this effect. Ivan broke the kiss to begin kissing Gilbert's neck, where the scent was the strongest. The German moaned slightly and wrapped his hand around Ivan's head, entwining his fingers in the ash blonde locks. The Russian vampire connected his lips with Gilbert's again, at the same time moving one of his hands so it was on Gilbert's chest.

He traced the obviously erect nipples through the thin shirt, which elicited a breathy moan from the other. The sound itself was enough to make Ivan want to tear off the clothing that separated them and claim the lithe body, but he couldn't do that in public. He whispered in his mate's ear, speaking aloud for the first time, "I think we should find somewhere more private to do this, before we make a scene". Gilbert locked his red lust filled eyes on Ivan's violet ones and said "I already have. Cheap hotel, not to our usual taste but it will keep the slayers off our trail for a couple nights".

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><p>The room was sparse, but that was not the point of it. Once they were in the door, they resumed their passionate embrace. Gilbert's back was against the door and he was kissing Ivan in graceless, hungry caresses. Ivan's hands went to Gilbert's jacket, eager as they were to touch the pale flesh underneath. Each kiss was fire and heat, but the best kind. Their bodies reacted to each other without conscious thought, their natural instincts working on their own. Gilbert didn't want to pull away, but he forced himself to. He couldn't do this to Ivan, it felt too much like betrayal. He couldn't help think of how he had been unfaithful when he had kissed Roderich. He couldn't leave Ivan in the dark and pretend like nothing had changed when it all had.<p>

He ducked out of Ivan's arms and walked over to the bed, his back to Ivan. He could feel his mate's eyes on his back, those beautiful perfect violet eyes. He couldn't turn around and look at Ivan; he couldn't stand to see the lust there. Ivan spoke "I don't understand. What's wrong, my pet?" Gilbert drew in a deep breath to attempt to clear his head before he said "Come here and I'll show you". Ivan's footsteps rang out as loud as thunder even in the carpeted room. The German turned as his mate walked over to him. When Ivan was finally level with Gilbert, the albino said "You need to see what happened while you were gone."

He stretched his neck, a vampire's sign of submission. Ivan still looked confused, but he took the opportunity anyway. He gently sunk his fangs into Gilbert's neck, taking in his memories with the blood. Ivan's mind was immediately filled with a confusing mix of pain and guilt with a blur of images, including a stunning pair of violet eyes. It took a moment for him to make sense of them all. Ivan finally released his mate, reeling from what he had just seen. Gilbert braced himself for the reaction, which he knew would be bad.

Ivan was silent for a couple tense seconds. Then, without a word, he seized Gilbert's wrist and turned over the hand to reveal the cross that was burned into the flesh of the palm. Ivan's voice was surprisingly gentle when he spoke "How could you hurt yourself like this, love?" Gilbert felt guilty at once and said, attempting to justify himself "I didn't know what to do without you. It hurt too much". Ivan reached out and touched his mate's face softly "Gilbert, I wanted to keep you safe. You can't make me feel like it was all for not". Gilbert nodded, somewhat glad that Ivan had not brought up the most important point. Ivan leaned closer and whispered in Gilbert's ear "And about your little slayer, if he isn't dead already, then I will personally destroy him".

Gilbert whimpered, wanting nothing more than to submit to Ivan to make all of it right somehow. Ivan was even more turned on by the whimper, if that was even possible. He was absolutely livid about the fact that the slayer he hated most might still be alive. But in the moment his natural instincts to breed were stronger than any other feelings. He whisked his mate off his feet and onto the bed. Ivan kissed the wounds he had already made on Gilbert's neck, the blood wetting his lips. Gilbert moaned, proving that his skin was more sensitive than usual; he spoke in his mate's ear "Ivan, take me, claim me, and make me yours again. Ivan….bitte".

Within a couple of seconds, the clothing between them was gone. Without the limiting cloth, the scent intensified, urging them both onward. There was no pretense of foreplay; their biological need was too strong. Their lips connected for a few seconds, then the Russian broke the kiss to say seductively "I'm going to make it hard this time, hand enough that you remember who you belong to".

He entered his mate quickly with no pretense of gentleness. Gilbert cried out, it hurt like hell but it also felt perfect being joined like this. He took a couple shallow breaths while his body attempted to adjust. Ivan didn't give him the time he needed. Ivan moved, albeit slowly. All of Gilbert's skin was extremely sensitive, the thrust dragged along all of his nerves. At this point, that wasn't a good thing. Their lips connected again, tongue against tongues, fangs bumping against each other. Ivan's fingers entwined in the albino's white hair.

Their eyes met and at once Ivan was inside Gilbert's mind. The sensations that both of them were feeling mixed together, Ivan groaned as he felt the pain Gilbert was feeling. In turn, Gilbert could feel how extremely intoxicated Ivan was by both the scent and the feeling. The pleasure that came from Ivan's mind softened the pain that Gilbert was in. Ivan shifted his aim slightly and hit the spot he had been searching for. Gilbert moaned out his mate's name as his back arched impossibly far. His eyes closed, breaking the mental connection.

The hand that wasn't holding on to Gilbert's hair grabbed his chin and forced it back to where it was. Ivan growled "Open your eyes. Look at me". Gilbert mustered enough though to open his eyes again and lock them on Ivan's perfect violet eyes. Pleasure spilled out of Gilbert's overflowing mind into Ivan's. The Russian moaned in sync with his mate, riding the same wave of pleasure. With their minds connected, they were able to create a nearly perfect rhythm.

Ivan's hand released Gilbert's chin and grabbed one of the pale arches of Gilbert's hip bones. The grip was so tight that it would have deeply bruised a mortal, possibly broken bones. Gilbert's arms were thrown out, spread eagled on the bed, his hands knotted in the sheets. Ivan's speed and force increased, sending overwhelming waves of feeling through both of them. The cheap wooden bed groaned loudly, complaining about the amount of force being put on it. Neither of them could hear it over their own moans.

Ivan leaned in right next to Gilbert's ear and said breathily "Who do you belong to?" Gilbert could hardly catch the breath to respond, he finally managed to turn a moan into a single word "You". His voice caught again and he lost the ability to speak. They were both so close to the edge and they both knew it. Gilbert came first, at the same time tearing the sheets to ribbons where he had been holding on to them. Ivan only got in a couple more hand thrusts before he came with such force that the already abused bed finally broke down the center.

Ivan pulled out of his mate and looked away, breaking the mental connection again. Gilbert wrapped his arms around Ivan's chest and rested his head against Ivan's broad shoulder. He closed his eyes and said "Fuck, Ivan, I missed you so much. Not just this, everything. You can't ever leave me again". Surprisingly gentle fingers brushed a few sweaty locks off of the albino's forehead, followed by a soft kiss. Ivan responded "Shh…my pet, I won't. I can't be away from you either. Fate has bound us together. I couldn't exist without you, not anymore". Gilbert smiled slightly, nothing felt more right than this. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of having Ivan here again.

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><p>Ludwig shifted his position on the floor, attempting to find a more comfortable position. In front of him, he had laid out all the photos he had on the floor, save the one he had in his hand. It was a year and a couple months old, it was a picture of his older brother. It had been a surprise picture taken by one of Gilbert's friends, the quality wasn't the best but it showed Gilbert's personality perfectly. He looked pissed off, but he hadn't had enough time to object to the camera being there.<p>

Ludwig had been carrying this picture in his jacket pocket for a year now, using it to remind himself why he needed to find Ivan and kill him. Now Ludwig didn't know what the picture meant to him, it was still a picture of his brother but now it was also a picture of someone he needed to destroy. He found it hard to believe that his brother, of all people, could be Ivan's mate. He had been rash and immature, yes, but he had never been cruel. The idea that he could kill so easily, even kill someone he didn't know, was impossible. Ludwig never would have believed it if he hadn't personally heard Ivan confirm it.

He heard a slight throat clearing and looked around. Alfred was standing in the doorway, looking at Ludwig with something like pity. Ludwig gave a halfhearted shrug, showing that he knew Alfred was there and giving him permission to speak. The blond sounded like he was very cautiously choosing his words "I'm sorry, I can't imagine how you feel right now. But we need to find him and Ivan, to do that we need to know everything about him. You know him better than anyone". Ludwig looked at the picture in his hand mournfully "If I knew him so well, why am I so shocked that he could ever become one of them".

Alfred sighed "Ludwig there's no way you could have known. People hardly ever show outward signs that they are going to be vamps." Ludwig took a deep breathe that turned into a sob "But I could have stopped this from happening. I brought him into this world. If he hadn't been exposed to it through me, then he wouldn't have become a vampire". Alfred walked over to where Ludwig was sitting and sat down next to him. He said consolingly "Don't think that. Vampire's mates are like soul mates, you can't choose them. Even if you were an accountant, Ivan and Gilbert would still have met. It would have just been the same as any other victim. You can't blame yourself".

The German nodded, looking somewhat unconvinced. He switched his focus to the pictures. He pointed to one with what appeared to be a normal family and said "That's Gilbert and our parents before I was born. They were so happy, or at least I assume they were. My mother died after I was born from an infection. It drove my father into depression". Alfred nodded, and internally wondered if he should be taking notes. Ludwig continued to talk "Gilbert pretty much raised me because our father was always out. He died in a car accident when Gilbert was 14 and I was 11. That only meant that Gilbert had more responsibility".

Alfred glanced at a picture of Gilbert sitting at a desk with textbooks around him. Alfred asked "Was he a good student? Ivan said he was clever". Ludwig laughed slightly "That was an understatement. Gilbert is incredibly smart; he also worked really hard in school". Alfred nodded and judged that it was better to not interrupt. Ludwig continued "He didn't really change until he went to college, I guess he discovered partying and drugs. After he dropped out of college, we kind of switched roles, I became the responsible one. I always thought he kind of reverted back to a more childish state because he never really had a chance to be a child when he was supposed to".

Another voice intoned on the conversation "Did he ever get in trouble for fighting?" They both glanced at Arthur, who was now standing in the door as well. Ludwig's expression darkened but he answered anyway "Yeah, a couple times. He mostly got in fights with people who insulted our family". Arthur nodded "I thought so. He displayed many classic personality traits. Protective, Prone to aggression, smart but lacking in inhibitions, pleasure seeking". Ludwig glowered at the Brit "Don't dissect him like that. He isn't a formula, he's a person and he's the person who raised me. He's somewhere between being a brother and a father to me".

Arthur didn't seem at all intimidated "That was exactly the point Ivan was making. Do you realistically think that you could kill your brother?" Ludwig hadn't even though about that part so far and the question caught him off guard. He thought about it for a couple seconds and felt disgusted by the thought. He couldn't find the words to say he could do it. Every time he tried to picture his brother as a vampire, his mind conjured happier memories of Gilbert. Arthur nodded again "Ivan's right, you couldn't do it if you were faced with the opportunity".

This time Alfred glared at Arthur and said "Stop being so cold, this is seriously traumatic for him." Then the Texan turned back to Ludwig "Think of it this way: The longer he is a vamp, the more his soul is damned. He's already dead; all you will be doing now is saving his soul. Give him peace, it's the least you can do". Ludwig shrugged again, trying to realign his thoughts. In the meantime, he changed the subject "What are we going to do to find him?" Arthur intoned again "I am keeping tabs on all of the most expensive hotels, seeing as vamps tend to like luxury. Hopefully we will soon know exactly where they are". Ludwig nodded again and looked back at the picture.

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><p>Gilbert stirred sleepily and turned over onto his stomach. His hand brushed over the empty sheet next to him. His eyes snapped open at once, his heart started racing. He sat up quickly and looked around, looking for Ivan. He didn't see anyone in the room and his heart felt like it sunk straight out of his body. Had it all been a dream? It had certainly been good enough to be a dream. He lay back down on the bed and looked up. It confirmed that it had not all been a dream; the headboard was broken in half, as was the rest of the bed. The sheets, upon inspection, were torn and stained.<p>

He didn't need to look at himself to know he was a mess. He reached up and pulled a feather out of his hair. It appeared that there were a few destroyed pillows. Gilbert sighed and decided that he greatly needed a shower. He was somewhat sure for some reason that Ivan would be back soon, that he was gone for just a little while. He threw off the blankets and walked over to the bathroom. The bathroom was as small and cramped, but it was to be expected with how cheep the room had been. The choice had been deliberate; the slayers would no doubt be watching the expensive hotels.

He stepped into the shower and turned the water on high. The shower head sputtered and spit pitifully. It took a couple minutes for the shower to start actually working. For a couple minutes, the shower pumped out hot water, filling the bathroom with steam. Gilbert managed to wash a mass of feathers out of his hair. He was also able to wash most of the rest of his body before the water went icy cold. Gilbert stepped out of the water quickly. His mind became aware of Ivan's presence in the other room.

It was exciting and comforting. He pulled a towel off of a hanger and loosely wrapped it around his hips. He had a feeling that he wouldn't have it on for long anyway. He walked out and spotted Ivan's back. He leaned against the door frame between the two rooms and cleared his throat. Ivan turned around with a smirk. Ivan spoke with a slight purr in his voice "Hello, beautiful. How did I ever exist without you?" Ivan sauntered over to the albino and wrapped his arm around his waist.

Gilbert reached up and caressed Ivan's face. They kissed lightly this time. Gilbert loved the sweet warm glowing feeling he got with Ivan's arms around him. Ivan spoke in the same seductive purr "I can see why that slayer would want a piece of you, but I won't let him". This statement reignited Gilbert's guilt about how he had failed to kill Roderich. He pulled away and said "I'm so sorry, Ivan". The other put his finger to his mate's lips to silence him and responded "There's something I need to tell you, I was too crazed last night to say it. You didn't fail to kill the slayer because you love him. It's because your biological instincts won't allow you to kill a newborn you created."

Relief washed over Gilbert, he felt a smile spread over his face. He responded by changing the subject "Where were you when I woke up?" Ivan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of tickets "I got us two tickets to Amsterdam. We're going to disappear until the slayers die off on their own". Gilbert kissed his mate again and then whispered "How about between now and then you and I break the bed a bit more"

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><p><em>AN: Hasn't it been a long time since I posted a chapter? I'm so sorry about that, I have been really busy and this chapter turned out so long. Anyway, i hope you enjoyed this chapter and PLEASE review ^-^_


	11. Chapter 11

Alfred left Ludwig asleep on the floor in the middle of his pictures, thinking it the most merciful thing to do at the moment. He personally couldn't imagine what it would be like to have his brother become the thing he hated the most. It would be horrible, and that would be an understatement. Ludwig deserved as much sleep as he could get, the longer he slept, the longer he would be away from reality. The truth would be far too much for Ludwig.

Alfred walked out of the room and into the living room. Arthur was sitting at a table pouring steaming water into a tea cup. Alfred wordlessly sat down across from him at the table and looked at the other blonde coldly. He said without a moment's hesitation "It's about time ya explain what your background is. Cuz I ain't convinced I can trust ya yet". Arthur's head jerked up from his view of the teacup. He looked hesitant, but Alfred's cold glare showed him that he had to start talking right away "Well, you see my parents were reformist Anglican missionaries in Scotland. Both my older brothers and me were born outside of Glasgow. Before you ask, I moved to Yorkshire later and picked up the accent. Their great crusade was to eradicate the rule of druids in the small town we lived in."

He took a break from talking to stir the tea cup in a frenzied manner, sloshing amber liquid onto the wooden table. Alfred was able to keep silent while he let the other talk. Arthur continued talking "Well, you see, Hecate is a goddess who doesn't like to be challenged. She also has the ability to take human form. She can make someone a druid just by seducing them. That was important." He set down the spoon with a shaking hand "My eldest brother was 16 and helping my parents with their conversions. That was until he met Hecate one night in a pub. It didn't take her long to get her claws into him. My parents didn't know, of course, until he turned on them. But before that, he handed information over to the society of druids."

A single shining tear ran down Arthur's cheek, although he didn't seem to notice it. His voice was steady though, and unnervingly cold considering the subject "My parents died by Hecate's hand, I know because I watched. After that, Alistor, my brother took over the family. As each of us came of age, he initiated us into the druid society by giving us to Hecate. Although, we all specialized in different female goddesses. Mine was Persephone, goddess of the underworld. I specialized in speaking to the dead and that eventually was my saving. The sacrifice was necessary to be able to connect with the dead. I had to have killed". He took a long drink of the tea in the interim, and then continued to talk "One night, during one of my trances, I reached my father's spirit. He broke me out of the path I was on. He made me realize how wrong it was to be in as deep as I was. I realized I needed to leave and fast. I also needed to do something to make up for all the wrong I had done."

The teacup rattled as it was put it back down in the saucer. He continued talking, although he did show signs of stopping "So, I took off. But I did one thing first to try to make it better: I stole Alistor's Book of Shadows. Without it, he couldn't preform rituals. I ran to Yorkshire, I thought I would be safe if I was away. He tracked me down looking for his Book. I ran again, this time to the States. From there I got involved in the police. And that's how I ended up in the supernatural division with my experience as a druid."

Alfred nodded, seeing as the story now seemed to be over, and then he said "So, is that how you knew that it was Ludwig's brother? Is that why you checked?" Arthur locked eyes with the other and said "Yes, I knew from my experience that the brother would be the most vulnerable person, so I was naturally suspicious when I heard that Ludwig had a brother who had been involved with Ivan". Alfred nodded again "Well, it was the most valuable piece of information so far. Now we know exactly who we are looking for, although we still don't know where".

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><p>Ludwig woke up around 7 at night, having slept through most of the day. His body ached from lying on the floor and he felt tired despite how much he had slept. His dreams had been full of Gilbert and they had been disturbing. In more than one of them, Ludwig had to watch Ivan change his brother. He looked around and saw the pictures around him. They didn't help at all; it just reminded Ludwig of what he had lost. What he needed now was alcohol; there really wasn't a question about it. It was the most soothing thing he could think of at the moment. If he could get extremely drunk, all the better.<p>

He already knew of a few bars in town that served good beer. Without another thought, he walked out of the room and down the stairs. He eventually reached the car. He turned on the radio; it started playing a song that Gilbert listened to in High School. Ludwig quickly flicked it off. He stopped outside of the bar and rested his forearms on the steering wheel, head in his hands. He didn't know how long he had been crying, but now the sobs started in earnest. He had never cried over Gilbert, not even when he thought he was dead. Gilbert had always said that since they only had each other, they had to be strong for each other. But he just couldn't continue to be strong anymore, not when he knew he would need to kill his brother with his own hands.

He felt his phone vibrate against his leg and he looked down. He flipped open the phone to see an anonymous text that read "Are you going to keep sitting out there or are you going to come in?" Ludwig's heart, which was weighed down with grief, jumped. Whoever had sent this text was watching him. There was nothing to suggest that this person meant him harm, but there also wasn't any way of knowing that they didn't. The first thing that came to mind was that Gilbert knew his number and also knew how to send an anonymous text. Part of him knew that it might very well be a trap, but there was the slightest chance that Gilbert might be trying to make contact and that was enough.

He looked at himself hurriedly in the rearview mirror and wiped the remaining tears from his eye lashes. Then he walked as calmly as he could out of the car and into the bar. He looked around and didn't see the albino he was looking for. His phone vibrated again, he flipped it open to see another anonymous text, and this one said "Act normal. Buy a drink. I'm at the table in the corner". He followed the instructions carefully. He walked over to the bar and bought a beer. Then he turned around and looked for the aforementioned table. It was in the corner, hidden slightly by a small wall and he could tell that someone was sitting at the table. Ludwig walked over and sat down opposite the unknown person.

His eyes were fixed on his own lap. It took a steadying breath to make him feel ready to look up. He had expected to see maroon eyes and white hair. Nothing could have prepared Ludwig to see the black hair and violet eyes that he did. He recognized the face instantly, although immortality had changed it dramatically. Roderich, for his part, waited for Ludwig to react. The blonde couldn't comprehend how or why this had happened. But his instinct was strong enough to make his hand go to a stake in his pocket.

Roderich said "I know you have your hand on a stake. If you even make a move, I will retaliate. Not that I blame you, I would do the same thing were I in your position". Ludwig clenched his jaw, mostly to block out any emotions that threatened to show themselves. Roderich wasn't fooled "You're furious, aren't you? I can tell you how and why if you want to know". The brunette smirked and Ludwig could see a pair of fangs. He couldn't pull his eyes away from the fangs until the pale lips hid them again.

Roderich let Ludwig remain livid and silent, he kept talking "The first thing you need to know is that Ivan's mate is-". Ludwig finished the sentence for him "Gilbert. Yeah, I know". Roderich deflated slightly, as though a weight had been lifted off of him "Oh, well that was what I really wanted to tell you. I wasn't prepared for it when he came after me. Don't think he's still the same, because he isn't. He killed me". Ludwig looked down at Roderich's pale white hands, which were gesturing dramatically. The pale flesh was marred by a series of burns, like he had grabbed something very hot.

Then he looked back up at the other's face. He should stake Roderich right here, right now because he was a vampire and there was nothing he could do to save him. But, this seemed to be an invaluable chance to get information. He finally spoke "He changed you at least that shows that he cared." Roderich laughed, which was very alarming to Ludwig, "He didn't do it intentionally. You see, I was too fucking stubborn to just die. It was an accident, as it were. He loves Ivan, and that's the only thing that drives him."

Ludwig felt numb as these words hit him; it was pretty much what he had expected. He spoke, his words directed at Roderich's hands "Well, Ivan is lose, so I guess Gilbert got what he wanted. Now we have no idea where they are." Roderich nodded "I already knew that. Here's something for you to consider: Gilbert isn't the same as anyone else you've hunted. He knows every trick we had as slayers, so he knows what you are going to do to find him." Ludwig couldn't help but feel that he was being patronized, which struck him as hypocritical considering Roderich hadn't been smart enough to save himself. He was already angry, and this only added to it "Then what do you suggest we do? You still want Ivan dead, don't you?"

Roderich finally noticed that Ludwig was staring at the burns on his hands and tucked them quickly under the table. He didn't offer any explanations for the burns and instead said "I do, more than anything. That's why I am here. What you need to track them is a money trail." He placed a manila envelope on the table and pushed it across to Ludwig "That is all I could psychically access through Gilbert's mind. It's credit card numbers and bank accounts. That's your best chance to find them. I would guess that they are going to leave the country and soon".

Ludwig opened the folder and took a quick glance at the papers inside of it. It was exactly what Roderich had said it was. With this, there was a possibility of finding Gilbert and Ivan. Ludwig looked back up at the vampire and said "Why would you give this to me? What's in it for you?" Roderich smirked again "I knew you would ask. In exchange, I want you to kill Ivan, but leave Gilbert. With Ivan gone, he will turn to me." Ludwig scowled, he had the distinct feeling that he was making a deal with the devil. He had no choice though; he needed the ability to find his brother. He nodded, not altogether convinced that he wanted to make this deal.

Roderich could detect Ludwig's reluctance, but he knew him well enough to know that Ludwig would take the bait, grudgingly maybe, but he would do it. Roderich stood up quickly and started to walk out. Before he left, he said "And don't forget, Ludwig, I know all your tricks better than Gilbert does. Don't try to track me down, you won't be successful". With that, he left. Ludwig watched him disappear, not altogether certain of what had just happened. Only when he could no longer see Roderich's back, his hand finally released the stake in his pocket.

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><p><em>AN: I so sorry it took so long to add a new chapter, I was having massive writers block and now I have finally gotten over it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, this one was very plot important. Please review, nice reviews will let me know that you are all still reading after this LONG wait_


	12. Chapter 12

-6 months later-

The lights in the club were flashing, but Ivan and Gilbert weren't paying any attention to it. They were in a secluded booth. Gilbert's legs were draped on either side of Ivan's lap and his lips were connected with Ivan's. The body of a girl was slumped under the table in front of them. Two pairs of bite marks were on either side of her slender neck. The girl was a prostitute, and she had also been high as a kite on heroin. For a vampire, drugs could be accessed through the blood of victims who had been using them. Gilbert found it even better than the drugs he had been taking in college. The difference was that for them, every drug through a mortal's blood was an aphrodisiac. That was why Ivan allowed his mate to always pick meals who were high on either amphetamines or heroin or both.

Victims were far too plentiful in Amsterdam, especially in the red light district. That was exactly where they were taking up residence. It was an easy break from the running they had been doing in the states. As far as they could tell they had gotten away from the slayers and all they need do was stay away until there was no natural way for the slayers to be alive. There remained one lose end that Ivan was sure he could deal with and he meant to do it tonight.

A tall man with thick red hair walked up to the booth and cleared his throat loudly. Both of the vampires heard the sound and realized that they were no longer alone. Disentangling themselves from each other, they both turned to face the newcomer. Ivan knew he was right to recognize the green eyes; they were the same as the druid he has seen with the slayers. The tall redhead didn't ask for any permission, he simply sat down on the opposite side of the booth. He simply ignored the display of unbridled affection in front of him. Allistor Kirkland had been around enough vampire couples to know that they were always all over each other, whether they had company or not.

Ivan finally managed to get his mate, who was horney as hell, off of him long enough to talk to the druid across from him. Gilbert rested his head softly on his mate's shoulder and listened silently to the conversation that ensued. Ivan started with a simple statement "I have found your brother". Allistor leaned forward with a smirk and said in a thick Scottish accent "Where? How do you know that it's him?" Ivan reached up and lazily stroked Gilbert's hair while he responded "In the US, he's involved with the police. I recognized the eyes when I saw you. He has a power brand on his wrist and he's damn powerful". Allistor nodded pensively "That sounds like him. I need to find him; he has taken something very precious of mine. How long ago did you see him?"

While he was talking, Allistor took out a cigarette and lit it. Gilbert shifted slightly, he knew what his mate was talking about, although he had not seen or met the druid that the other two were talking about. He noticed that the druid was wearing short sleeves and across his arm was a tattoo that consisted of a pentagram in the middle of his forearm surrounded by Celtic knot work that stretched from his shoulder to his fingertips. Unlike Arthur, Allistor seemed to be fully embracing his druid power. Gilbert found it interesting, but he was still somewhat bored by this distraction. Ivan's casual touch was comforting enough to keep him placated for the moment.

Ivan responded to the question "His name is Arthur, isn't it? I saw him six months ago, although I'm guessing he will be tagging along with a pair of slayers, who are still looking for us". Allistor nodded again "Thank you for the information, it helps immensely. Do you have anything else you want to tell me before I leave?" Ivan smirked "You are as blunt as your brother is long-winded. That's all the information I have at the moment. If I find out more, I know how to find you." The druid laughed slightly before he said "That he is. I will be easy to reach. My brother is my main priority; I appreciate any help I can get". He then put out his cigarette on the table in between them and walked away.

Gilbert waited until the druid disappeared to talk to Ivan "Do you really think that will work? We gave him a whole country to search". Ivan shrugged "It's not our problem, my pet. But if that druid ever manages to chase us down again, we will have a weapon to use against him. For now, we just need to go on with our existence." Gilbert smirked and flung himself back into Ivan's lap. He was incredibly high on blood transmitted heroin, which was the main reason that he was acting like such a slut. It took the slightest of Ivan's touches to make him react, since he was so sensitive.

Ivan was more than slightly amused by his mate's reactivity. He kissed the albino passionately and pulled the smaller body against him. Gilbert moaned and started to grind hard against Ivan's leg, which was situated between Gilbert's. Ivan continued to smirk as he snaked one hand into his mate's pants and softly rubbed the bulge he found there. Gilbert gave a soft breathy moan. Around them, loud music and flashing lights kept anyone from paying any attention to the pair. It was also not altogether strange for two men to be doing this in the red light district.

For Gilbert, this was unrestrained bliss. He didn't need to hide anything he did. No one was reprimanding him for what he was doing, and they never would again. When it had been just him and Ludwig, his little brother had constantly tried to keep him sober and at home. His father had been even worse, he had been emotionally abusive and used it to keep Gilbert in school and make sure that he had the best grades possible. Gilbert's father had openly denied that Gilbert could ever be his son, and then he would proceed to call his son a freak. If he chose to speak back to his father, that was when the abuse got physical; his father had hit him more than once. It had been far as Gilbert had been able to tell, his father had never been abusive to Ludwig. Although this was to be expected, considering that Ludwig looked like a normal child. Now, someone finally accepted and loved Gilbert for being who exactly who he had always wanted to be.

Ivan now had Gilbert pinned down on the red velvet padding of the booth seats. Ivan was well aware of every spot on Gilbert's body that was sensitive and he was taking advantage of every single one of them. But, at the moment he was not granting his mate sexual release yet. He was making this last as long as he possibly could, although Ivan knew that he could have sex with Gilbert any time he wanted.

Across the club, a tall blonde human walked in. He was dressed in a black trench coat and a tee shirt. In his pocket, he had two objects. One was an exceptionally sharp wooden stake; the other was a picture of an albino man. Even through the sexual haze, Gilbert felt the sharp awareness of the man's presence. He pulled away from Ivan at once to look around.

His mate was confused for the obvious reason. Gilbert put a thin pale finger to Ivan's lips to silence him and said "It's him, Ivan. I can feel him, my little brother. He's here somewhere". He didn't feel fear exactly; it was more like a rush of sudden excitement. Although, if Ludwig was here, then that meant that there was a very good chance of other slayers being here as well. Ivan didn't question his mate's sensory ability, he knew that Gilbert had the strongest connection to Ludwig and would be able to detect the slayer's presence.

Ivan looked around carefully, looking for Ludwig. He caught sight of the trench coat through the crowd and reacted at once. He sat up and his muscles tensed, he was ready to kill. Gilbert sat up as well, suddenly sobered by the new situation. Ivan gave voice to his feelings "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to do it right here right now and end this all". Gilbert thought about this for a moment. He felt almost nothing about the prospect of his brother dying. He was about to tell Ivan to go ahead when another thought occurred to him. He smirked slightly, then leaned in and whispered his idea to Ivan.

The other smiled back and said "Have it your way, my pet. He is your brother and his fate is yours to control". Gilbert kissed Ivan hard on the lips one more time and then stood up and walked away. Ivan couldn't help but appreciate the sadism in Gilbert's plan; his mate certainly had a flare for the dramatic. He stood up as well and walked into the crowd, following the blonde slayer.

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><p>Ludwig didn't like this, he felt like he was walking blind. This was where he knew he had the best chance of finding the two vampires he was looking for. But with the light and music, it was hard to identify any of the people he walked past. He knew that his brother would know he was here before he would see Gilbert. With some luck, Gilbert would take the bait and make a careless mistake. He had been impulsive as a human, and there was no reason for him to not be as a vampire.<p>

This was the reasoning Alfred had used when he suggested that they split up and look by themselves. However, Alfred was most likely with Arthur, who had accompanied them to Amsterdam despite it being far out of his jurisdiction. Not that it hadn't taken a lot of persuasion, Arthur had been terrified by the thought that he would be close to his brother, who would no doubt search him out. Ludwig never asked what exactly Alfred did to convince Arthur to come with them, but he thought he had some pretty clear ideas.

Tonight the two of them were searching other clubs, but they were also were supposedly ready to spring into action if Gilbert made contact with his brother. Ludwig tried to push through a crowd of scantily dressed girls, but ended up stuck behind them. Then he heard a voice say his name, it was a voice he knew far too well.

He responded "Gilbert". It took him a second to remember that his brother was a vampire, and he should probably follow the voice instead of responding to it. He skirted around the group of girls and ran after the voice. When he finally reached where he thought the voice was coming from he stopped. There was no one here that even looked like Gilbert. He heard a different voice behind him "Well, slayer, do you still want the truth about your brother?" Ludwig drew his stake in one swift motion, and turned around to stab.

He hit empty air and stumbled slightly. Ivan's hands made contact with either side of Ludwig's face. He didn't have time to struggle, because the touch immediately caused their minds to mesh. It was sickeningly intimate and Ludwig hated the feeling. The vampire spoke inside Ludwig's head "Here is your truth". Ludwig's mind immediately filled with memories that were not his.

He saw a crowded street and he saw his brother as a vampire, handsome and pale with bright red eyes. The albino leaned closer and said "Does this remind you of the night we met?"

The scene changed.

This time he was in a club and Gilbert was human, his eyes were blank and glazed over. Ivan's voice spoke over the memory "Call me Ivan, my pet. You are mine now".

The scene changed again.

Gilbert was pinned against a door and Ivan was kissing him hard.

The scene changed again.

Gilbert cleanly broke the neck of a boy at a gas station convenience store.

The scenes changed so quickly that they became blurred together. The force of the memories made Ludwig's head feel like it was going to split open. His knees hit the floor and he lost consciousness.

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><p>Ludwig regained consciousness slowly, but he did not open his eyes at first. He could tell that he was standing and that his hands were bound above his head with something that felt like shackles. He couldn't feel any wall behind him, so he assumed that he must be in the middle of the room. His head hurt like hell, as though someone had filled his head with razor blades and shook it. He was losing feeling in his fingers as blood flowed out of them.<p>

He slowly opened his eyes. Standing right in front of him, not even a foot away, was a pair of stunning ruby eyes framed by white hair. Gilbert smirked, revealing his fangs, and said "Guten Tag, klein Bruder. You look like shit"

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><p><em>AN: Yes, that is quite the cliff hanger. I am going to try and get chapters done quickly, so I don't leave you hanging for too long. But I make no promises!  
>As far as the plot, this fic is pretty much like a 3 act play, and this is act 3. So, the end it coming which means all the part of the plot are going to come together.<em>  
><em>Please review ^-^<em>


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: _I am having serious problems with you people. I can tell you from the data that at least 92 people read this fic. So, with that being the case, how is it that only one of you bothered to review? (coffincoffee1, you are now my new favorite person). I really don't care if last chapter was a bit of a filler or if it sucked. If it sucked, I want you to review and tell me. I don't really care, the constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated and it would help me improve. So, here is the deal: If I don't get any reviews on this chapter, then I will not post another chapter. Because that says to me that no one gives enough of a fuck to tell me what they think. So, if you want to know the ending and if you want it to be somewhat happy, I suggest that you all review your asses off. __

_With that being said, enjoy this chapter, there is some murder, secrets, and a bit of hinted at incest_

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><p>Ludwig was horrified and struck completely speechless. He had known that his brother was a vampire. From Ivan's memories, he also knew exactly what his brother looked and sounded like. But, still, the sight of his brother right in front of him was jarring. He managed to say a single word "Whore". He wanted to express the deep hate and conflict that he felt. He hated the creature, but he still couldn't bring himself to hate the man. In his heart he still believed that there was a part of his brother in the monster in front of him.<p>

He didn't really expect this to have an effect, from his experience he knew that vampires usually laughed off slayer's insults. But Gilbert's face darkened at once "I cannot tell you how much you looked like Father just now. Did I ever tell you what happened to Father?" Ludwig couldn't shake the fact that the albino vampire's voice had not really been changed by death; it was nearly the same voice that had greeted him every morning for years. He answered the question although he didn't understand the significance "You told me, car crash if I remember correctly".

One white eyebrow raised in amusement "Is that what I said? Well, I suppose you were young. If I had told you the truth, I didn't know who you would have told". Ludwig couldn't believe what he was hearing; this had to be some trick. He was a vampire and all vampires told lies to torment their victims. Gilbert leaned closer "I think you're more than old enough now to know. I wouldn't want you to believe wrongly about our father, worthless bastard that he was". The smirk returned as he saw his brother's reaction "Surprised, little brother? Did you think I loved him? Do you think I owed it to him because he had the bad judgment to sleep with a half-werewolf bitch and father me on one of his slaying gigs? Do you think he adopted me willingly?"

Ludwig wasn't sure if it was the position he was bound in, or this question that caused all his blood to start to drain from his face. He and Gilbert were brothers, fully and completely. That was what he had always been told, and he knew it was true. Without conscious thought, he shook his head. This time Gilbert actually laughed and it was a mad sort of laughter. It lasted for a couple seconds before his face set back into his earlier amused expression "I can prove it to you. You know the scratches in our bedroom door when we were kids? My mother made them during her cycle when she tried to come and claim me, as wolves will do. Our dear Father denied her".

Ludwig was suddenly very alert; he had seen what he thought was the telltale lie in the story "Even if you had a different mother, which I doubt, you never knew where those scratches came from". Again, Gilbert laughed "It is true, no matter how you doubt it. You aren't a vampire; you wouldn't know how much you can read from blood. But I have a more important truth to show you". The white fingers were almost loving when they touched the blonde's forehead. This time Ludwig was able to brace himself before a memory came crashing into his mind again.

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><p>Gilbert looked over at his father, who was lounging in the passenger's seat. It was one of those nights, again, where the man had called his 14-year-old son and told him to drive over and pick him up. The reason, as far as Gilbert knew, was that his Father had yet again gotten drunk after a long slaying job. Gilbert driving was strictly illegal, but Gilbert's father didn't really give a fuck, he needed transportation and they had yet to be pulled over by cops. Gilbert was absolutely livid, he hated being noticed only when he was being scolded or when he was needed.<p>

He spoke to his father "Father, you can't keep doing this. I am your son and I need you at home. Ludwig needs you too. I don't even know what you are out doing all night doing". The older man smirked in a drunken say "You're not my son. Ludwig is my son; you are nothing but a freak. I don't owe you anything. Just do the fucking job I ask you to do, raise Ludwig when I can't be there." Gilbert's hands tightened on the wheel. This sort of verbal abuse was normal, but this time it felt even worse. Gilbert couldn't stand the fact that he had to drop everything he was doing every time his father called, and if he didn't, he knew the price would be physical pain. The only thing he wanted now was to have some token of affection.

He ground his back teeth together before offering his father a real test "What would you do if I died suddenly?" His father agitatedly ran his hand through his long hair, which was partially in a ponytail. Then the blonde said "I would have to hire someone else to watch Ludwig and care for him while I am busy". Gilbert had wanted an answer that had shown some kind of caring. But, all the same, he had expected for his father to answer the way he did. Suddenly he knew what he needed to do, there really was no choice.

He needed to be free; he refused to be subject to his father's needs anymore. A strange calm came over Gilbert when he reached this conclusion. His hands loosened on the wheel slightly as he turned it to pull over onto the shoulder on the road. It was very late in the night and the road was empty. The road itself was not often traveled anyway, so there would be no witnesses. One of Gilbert's hands slipped off of the wheel and into his pocket. In his pocket was a pocket knife that Gilbert knew was razor sharp. He had sharpened the knife earlier that day.

He carefully applied pressure to the brake petal, bringing the car to a steady stop on the side of the road. His father looked over at Gilbert "What the fuck are you doing, you fucking freak". Gilbert hardly heard the words; he certainly didn't feel any emotion. The numbness had washed over him made this easy somehow. The albino boy simply opened the driver's side door and walked out. His father continued to yell at him, but Gilbert ignored it. He knew that if he kept ignoring his father, the man would soon get out of the car to discipline his son.

True to form, the older blonde soon staggered out of the car after Gilbert. He staggered over to where the albino was standing and said "Get back in the car, boy." Gilbert knew the words he needed without thinking about them "No, I don't think I will". The green eyes turned into two fiery pits. The older man took a swinging punch at Gilbert. The albino side-stepped quickly and cleanly avoided the blow. His father, in his drunken state, stumbled and fell forward onto his hands and knees. For Gilbert, it was all too simple from here on out.

He stepped over the man on the ground so that one of his feet was on either side of his father's body. He plunged one hand into his pocket and pulled out the pocket knife. In a swift movement, he flicked it open and switched the knife to his more dominant hand. The albino's knee came down on his father's back, effectively pinning the bigger man to the ground. At this point, the older man understood exactly what was going on. He started struggling and babbling apologies, all of which Gilbert was able to ignore.

He had control through his knee on the man's back. He grabbed a handful of long blonde hair, which was greasy against his skin, and yanked the head back. In a swift slash, he cut the throat. He stepped off of his father's body quickly enough that the blood did not touch Gilbert's clothes. His father lay dying in a pool of his own blood and Gilbert watched. He wanted to see the life leave the man who had been making his life living hell. The numbness dissipated and gave way to a kind of relief.

A smile creeped across his face slowly. It was over; all the abuse was finally over. True, Ludwig was still there, but he was an innocent. He carefully wiped off the knife using the back of his father's shirt; he then dropped the fingerprint-free knife on the ground next to the body. The slight glow of happiness had blossomed into a full blown feeling of elation. When he got into the car, he started to laugh. The happiness bubbling out of a chest was intoxicating and overwhelming. As he drove away, the laughter failed to stop until he got home. The memory dissipated, quickly fading away.

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><p>Ludwig's eyes opened slowly. His head was still pounding from Ivan's memories and Gilbert's memory had been far more volatile. At this point, any sort of light was too painful to the look at. He was thankful that the room was very dimly lit. The only real light source was the street lights outside of the large windows. Gilbert was looking at his brother expectantly, waiting for a reaction to the memory. Ludwig, for his part, had no idea what he should feel. His father had never been very present in his life and he had never really loved his father, but his gut feeling told him that to kill anyone was wrong. The anger that had been in Gilbert's heart during the murder was compelling; the abuse was a very strong motive.<p>

Ludwig finally spoke "How could you kill your own father?" Gilbert smirked again and he looked completely insane "He didn't think of me as a son, I didn't need to think of him as my father. He pushed me too far. He deserved it." Ludwig took a couple deep breathes, attempting to steady himself, before he responded "I had no idea you were a psychopath. I suppose in a way, Father was right: you are a freak". He knew exactly what effect this would have on Gilbert, but that was the idea. He wanted to test if his brother really cared about him enough to let this insult stand.

The first blow hit him squarely in the diaphragm. It did more than knock the air out of him, it felt like it broke more than one rib as well. Ludwig registered that Gilbert was not holding back any of his strength. The second blow came across his face with enough force to make Ludwig's neck snap alarmingly. He was able to turn it back to facing his brother, so he assumed that the neck was not broken.

He looked back up at his brother. Gilbert was giving him an ice cold glare now. The albino grabbed the blonde's hair and forced their eyes to meet "I am going to make something clear to you now: I am not going to hold back just because it's you. Do yourself a favor, don't do anything like father." Ludwig shook his head slightly and then, very intentionally, spat a glob of blood and spit at his brother's feet. He looked back up and said "I don't know you, whore".

"If you call my mate that one more time, I am going to cut out your tongue." Ivan walked across the room with his violet eyes trained on Ludwig's face. Ludwig knew that he should have expected Ivan to be here, but it was still shocking that he chose to enter the conversation at this moment. Ivan walked up behind the albino and put his hand casually on the other's waist. Ludwig, although his opinion of his brother was greatly changed, could hardly stand the sight of the vampire he had spent so long hunting with his hand on his brother.

He started to fight against the restraints again. He wanted to break them apart somehow. Ivan said softly in the albino's ear "My pet, I don't think your brother likes me". Gilbert turned his attention to the Russian and purred in response "That's because he has really shitty taste". The Russian kissed his mate softly on the cheek. The albino turned his head slightly towards his mate and let the other kiss him on the lips hard.

Ludwig couldn't take this. Murderer or not, this was his brother and part of him would never stop loving him. Ivan, while he was kissing his mate, reached inside Gilbert's long coat and pulled out a large knife with a wicked edge. Gilbert wrapped his own hand around Ivan's hand on top of the knife's handle. They broke apart and Gilbert said with a slight smirk "Do you want to carve or shall I?"

Ludwig shivered, he knew exactly what they were about to do and there was no way for him to save himself. He couldn't possibly break or escape the shackles that were around his now numb wrists. Ivan laughed slightly when he replied "I think you should, it would be so much more appropriate. And you are so talented with a knife". The tone that he used suggested that Ivan was not only talking about the sharp object that was currently in his hand. Gilbert kissed his lover's lips one more time before pulling the knife out of Ivan's hand and turning back to his brother.

It was in this moment that Ludwig realized that he should probably keep his face as blank as possible. While he had been watching his brother and Ivan shamelessly make out, his face had slipped into an expression of shock and anger. Gilbert spoke with a smile "Ivan, I think we are bothering my little brother". The violet eyes moved from looking at Gilbert to looking at Ludwig's face. He smirked as well "I don't think he likes me touching you. I bet I could bother him a lot more."

He kissed the spot on Gilbert's neck that he knew would drive the other crazy; it was the exact place he had first bitten him. It was all Gilbert could do to keep himself from dropping the knife. His eyes rolled back in his head slightly and he moaned. Once the buzz died down a little, he said "Ivan, we can do this later". The Russian smirked "Alright, feel free to take your time with the slayer, love. We have all the time in the world."

Ludwig finally felt the need to speak "No you don't! Alfred will be looking for me. It won't be long before he finds this place". Gilbert laughed and said in a mocking voice "Oh? I'm so scared. Do you know how many places there are for him to look in Amsterdam? It will take him weeks to find your body". Ludwig didn't feel the need to tell his brother that Arthur had made an amulet that was now embedded just under the skin over his left shoulder blade. The amulet was designed to allow Arthur to track Ludwig's movements. They had inserted it just after they decided to use him as bait. But, Ludwig's best option at the moment was to allow the vampires to think they had the advantage.

Gilbert gave no indication of his next move; instead he just slashed the knife across Ludwig's chest. It easily cut through both fabric and flesh. The blonde gritted his teeth and attempted to not show any sign of pain. But he failed, and let a groan escape his throat. Gilbert smiled with sadistic pleasure. He then cut away his brother's shirt, which he judged to be in his way. Ludwig made one more desperate attempt, although he was sure it was useless, "Brother, don't do this! We are the same flesh and blood". Gilbert paid his plea no attention "Ah, you are right about one thing. We are of the same blood".

The albino carefully caressed his brother's chest and then licked the length of the cut. The touch was so much colder than he expected it to be, especially the cold softness of the tongue. This felt so wrong to him; it felt incestuous, especially when Gilbert started sucking the blood from the cut. The vampire released his brother for a second only to say "You have no idea how good you taste". The red eyes were hazed over with the blood lust. Without another word, he sunk his fangs into the blonde's jugular.

Ludwig hadn't expected to feel any pain over the pain in the other parts of his body. But he did, acutely. It spiked down every nerve from his neck down. He still refused to scream, but he did bite down on his own tongue. He fixed his gaze on Ivan, who was standing just behind Gilbert. The Russian saw in Ludwig's eyes that he was still blaming the vampire for corrupting his brother. It was almost understandable that Gilbert could kill his Father because of the abuse. Ludwig doubted that Gilbert ever would have killed again if not for Ivan's influence. Ivan spoke as he reached out and stroked Gilbert's white hair "Didn't I tell you he was beautiful?" Ludwig's vision began to blur around the edges, he knew it was from blood loss. He wouldn't give Ivan the satisfaction of replying.

Suddenly a jarring beeping came from another room. Both Gilbert and Ivan immediately looked in the direction, which meant that Gilbert released his brother's neck. The albino spoke to his mate "That is the alarm, isn't it?" The other nodded wordlessly. Ludwig could hardly get the strength to keep his own head up, but he managed to say "What was that you said about weeks?"

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><p><em>AN: There are only a few chapters left and the next one will be the big battle scene. Who will win in the end? Well, you will have to see. It may depend on how much you review_


	14. Chapter 14

Alfred broke open the door of the upstairs room. Arthur was keeping an eye on the downstairs. The room was empty as far as he could tell, except for Ludwig, whose body was hanging from the ceiling suspended by shackles. His chest had been slashed, but miraculously the cut was no longer bleeding. A bite mark was also quite obvious on his neck. Alfred looked around for the vampire who must have done this to his brother, but he saw nothing. He assumed that the vampires had fled as soon as they heard the alarm. He walked over to Ludwig to help the other down. The blonde seemed to be semi-conscious, but he was still breathing. It crossed the American's mind for a minute that they might have changed Ludwig, but the thought quickly disappeared. If they had turned him, the injuries would already been healing.

Alfred decided that it was more important to get Ludwig aware again; he needed to know whatever Ludwig knew from the last few hours he had been here. Alfred slapped the German hard across the face. Alfred immediately wondered if striking the other had been a good idea because of the way the neck cracked. But it had the effect he had been hoping for. Ludwig's green eyes shot open and he immediately said "Alfred, it's a trap! Get out of here now!" Alfred didn't think about his next move, he simply drew a stake. Behind him the door slammed shut. Alfred quickly turned around to see a vampire with shining red eyes and snowy white hair. Alfred had not actually seen Gilbert before, human or not, but he didn't have trouble identifying the vampire from the descriptions he had been given.

Gilbert had a large bloody knife in his hand, which Alfred assumed had been used to carve the long slash into Ludwig's chest. Both the slayer and the vampire immediately started to circle each other, measuring the other's capabilities. Ludwig yelled at the other slayer in the room "You can't take him on your own! Get me down!" Alfred turned his head just slightly to take a quick glance at Ludwig. It provided enough of an opportunity for Gilbert to pounce. Alfred's reflexes were quick enough that he used the stake to block the knife that came slashing across what would have been his throat. The wood stopped the force of the knife, but the knife managed to cleave the stake in half. Small slivers of wood sprayed across Alfred's face. The very point of the knife brushed against Alfred's face, making a small line of blood.

Gilbert licked his lips, apparently egged on by the presence of blood. To replace the stake, Alfred pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and flicked it open. The blonde took a quick step back as a second backhanded slash came across his chest. He lost his footing and stumbled backwards. He hit the chest of another vampire, who immediately seized him in a strangle hold around his neck. Alfred quickly realized that he was stuck between two very bloodthirsty vampires and the one behind him was going to strangle him. With one hand, he reached for the golden chain around his neck. He managed to pull it up out of his shirt and he forced the small golden cross against Ivan's hand. The Russian automatically flinched and released the American. Alfred did two things in the short moment that he was free. First, he threw his knife with all the force he could at the chains above Ludwig's head. The knife broke a rusty link and Ludwig's hands dropped. Second, he turned and made a mad dash to the door. Ivan recovered quickly enough to stride quickly after the American.

Gilbert turned to his brother, who was now staggering to his feet. Gilbert, for his part, was patient while his brother hauled himself back up into a standing position. Ludwig, as soon as he was confident in his limbs, reached up and yanked the knife out of the wall where it had stuck after breaking through the chains. The blonde could barely stand, weak as he was with blood loss, but he managed to screw up enough concentration to keep his feet. As long as he was glaring at his brother, he was able to keep himself able to fight. Gilbert knew his brother's condition and watching him stagger upright was comical.

Gilbert laughed and said "Are you going to kill me, little brother?" Ludwig responded, gritting his teeth to keep any traitorous emotion from slipping through "You meant to murder kill me". Gilbert's white eyebrows arched as if to say "So, what are you going to do about it?" Ludwig raised the knife with a shaking hand. Gilbert nodded in response "Alright, little brother, do your worst". Ludwig clumsily swung and lunged forward. The attempt was slow and uncoordinated. Gilbert grabbed his brother's arm in a bruising grip and whipped the other around in a circle, so that the blonde was pinned against his brother's force of the movement caused Ludwig to drop the knife, which went spinning across the floor.

With his other hand, Gilbert brought the blade of the knife against his brother's throat. The vampire spoke "I could cut your throat, you know. As far as circumstances go, it's pretty poetic, don't you think?" Ludwig didn't even form words, he just growled. The only thing the slayer managed to do was ram his elbow backwards into the other's side. It was like elbowing a wall of solid ice, and most likely hurt Ludwig more than it was even felt by Gilbert. All the same, the albino decided he didn't want to kill his brother just yet.

With all his strength, the vampire flung the slayer across the room. Ludwig went crashing into a window and the glass shattered. But, in the midst of the glass shower, Ludwig saw an opportunity. The crossbars of the window were wooden. The blonde rammed his shoulder against the frame, which caused the wood to break into sharp pieces, one of which Ludwig grabbed. He took a step away from the window, glass crunching under his feet, and tightened his hold on his makeshift stake. He saw all of his brother's muscles go taut; obviously he had not been expecting his brother to find a weapon. Gilbert leveled the knife in his hand and readied himself to spring.

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><p>Ivan bolted out of the room after Alfred, perfectly aware that he had no weapon, save his bare hands. The blonde finally slid to a stop in the middle of the hall, he smoothly drew another stake that he had in his pocket. He braced himself as though expecting Ivan to fly headlong into the stake. As a veteran of many fights with slayers, Ivan was not going to fall for such an amateur maneuver. He slid to a stop at the same time as Ivan. He also needed a weapon to match that of the slayer. There were exposed pipes on the wall presumably for the movement of water. But as this was an abandoned building, the water was off. Ivan seized one of the pipes and pulled it free.<p>

It fit perfectly in his hand and the metal was ice cold against the skin. He swung it in a few experimental circles before turning back to the American. Neither of them wanted to make the first move. The greatest chance of victory came with the other making a mistake, and the first move was a risk. For a couple seconds both of them stood facing each other, holding their respective weapons, waiting for the other to strike first. The sound of shattering glass came from the room that they had just left, causing Alfred to start slightly.

Ivan smirked and said "It sounds like your partner isn't doing very well. He won't survive without help, he is too weak and Gilbert is so strong. You'll need to help him, and you have to through me to do that." Alfred's heart began to race more so than it already had been, he knew that Ivan was right and he either needed to go through or around Ivan. He saw a big enough gap to Ivan's left side that he could easily dart through. He knew that it was probably a trap, but he went for it anyway.

Ivan quickly brought the pipe across the gap, striking Alfred hard across the shoulder. The sound of metal hitting skin was accompanied by a crack that sounded vaguely like a fracture. Alfred pulled back at once, at the same time cradling his left arm across his chest. Thankfully, his dominant arm had been spared. He mentally noted that this was not going to be easy in any way. Ivan laughed at the slayer "Did you really think that was going to work?" He twirled the pipe around his fingers, as if daring Alfred to try again.

The second time he went straight for Ivan, aiming for a hard blow to the chest. Ivan easily blocked it. The force of the deflection slammed Alfred chest first into the wall. It knocked the wind out of him. Pain shot down his body from the fractured collar bone. He had enough sense left to duck before the pipe slammed into the dry wall above his head. The little white pieces fell on the blonde head as the pipe was slowly removed from the wall. The slayer saw an opportunity, and from the crouch he was in, he drove the stake upwards towards Ivan's heart. Ivan moved the pipe to block the stab.

But, Alfred did get the opportunity to dart away from the vampire and back towards Ludwig. But, he wasn't quick enough. Ivan brought the long metal rod down again, this time catch the middle of the slayer's lower back. He didn't manage to break anything this time, but the blow did render Alfred immobile. Ivan laughed again; he spoke "It's really a pity that you're such a coward. If you had put up more of a fight, you might have had a chance to win. I would love to spend time tearing you apart, but I'm going to have to make this quick".

He easily rolled the blonde over with a huge booted foot before saying "I want to see that ridiculous of yours so I can be sure to smash it." The Russian raised the pipe again and was about to bring it down when a blast of magic hit him squarely in the chest. He was thrown a good 5 feet and landed on the floor. There was a sound that was somewhat like cartilage cracking as Alfred's back was snapped back into place.

Arthur was standing at the other end of the hall, his hand extended. He ran forward as soon as he healed Alfred's back and the American sat up. He was stopped halfway down the hall by a line of silvery light that appeared right in front of his feet. A fourth voice toned in with a heavy Scottish accent "You see, little brother, anyone who meddles with the darkness that is death can't cross a line of light. I can trap you easily."

Arthur turned white. He slowly turned around to face the red-headed druid who had spoken. Allistor gestured using his finger as a wand of sorts and drew another line, this one on the other side of his brother, which trapped the other druid. Arthur could only take a few steps in either direction. He stared at his brother without a word. Allistor sighed "I see. The silent treatment. You used to do this all the time when you were a kid. Let's cut the crap, then. I want my Book of Shadows back, and I know you have it". Arthur managed a dry laugh "Over my dead body." His brother didn't even flinch; he simply walked forward and with another gesture, slammed Arthur against the wall. Allistor spoke again "That would be acceptable".

Ivan had recovered from being thrown, but Alfred had already gotten to his feet. He was off and running again in the same direction. This time, Alfred managed to reach the door before the pipe made contact with his leg, shattering the Tibia. He screamed this time, but managed to keep his feet by bracing himself against the door. Ivan seized him by the back of the neck and threw him bodily into the room. He went sliding across the floor on his back.

* * *

><p>Ludwig charged forward, stake in hand, intent on stabbing the empty shell that had been his brother. Gilbert stepped out of the way, but grabbed the other's arm as he hurdled by. The albino quickly jerked the arm so that it snapped out of the socket. Ludwig groaned and stumbled away from his brother. At that moment, Alfred came flying into the room.<p>

It was at that moment that Ludwig realized with a healthy helping of irony, that this fight was not going well. Gilbert took a casual step backward "How exactly do you plan to stake me now? That was your dominant arm". Ludwig knew he needed to save his brother's soul and stake the vampire version of him soon. But, without his right arm, he was pretty much useless. He awkwardly switched the stake from the now limp arm to the other.

Ivan casually walked into the room and took a glance at his mate. Upon seeing the state that Ludwig was in, Ivan's mouth twitched up slightly at the corner, like he was about to smile. Ludwig was more incensed by this, Ivan was acting like this was routine.

He threw himself at Gilbert one more time. For the first time, Gilbert didn't step aside. Instead, he held the knife level as his brother ran right into it. The blade pierced right through Ludwig's sternum, and into his heart. The blonde felt the knife enter as though it was something surreal. A single sound escaped his lips that sounded anti-climatically like "Oh". Gilbert leaned in and whispered in his brother's ear "Have fun in Hell".

Then he twisted the knife hard. Ludwig couldn't die like this, he felt that he had left too much unfinished. With a single breath he responded "You're coming with me". He rammed the stake, which was in his left hand, hard into Gilbert's chest.

* * *

><p>Ivan was about to strike the final blow on Alfred when he heard the stake enter Gilbert's flesh. The world seemed to have suddenly shifted into slow motion. What he had just heard was impossible, it simply could now happen in a reality that Ivan existed in. He turned around to look at the scene of death in the other part of the room. Ludwig's body fell first, the knife wedged in his chest. But, as he fell dead, his hand slipped off of a stake that was lodged in Gilbert's chest.<p>

Ivan's mind stopped. There couldn't be a stake in Gilbert's heart. But he knew that he wasn't seeing things. This was real. He didn't make any decision to catch Gilbert, but the next thing he was aware of was having his arms around his mate's cold body. The pain came as soon as he actually rested his hand on the stake. It was searing and blinding, like someone had ripped out his heart and set it on fire.

Ivan was crying and sobbing without realizing that he was doing it. Nothing mattered anymore, not the fight, not the slayers, nothing. A red puddle touched Gilbert's lifeless hand, which was trailing on the floor. The blood came from Ludwig, but that fact didn't seem to register. Ivan dropped to his knees and buried his face in his mate's hair, staining the white red with blood tears.

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><p>Arthur got back to his feet after being slammed against the wall. He was beyond upset, he was not going to let Alfred die while he was standing here being useless. He felt deeply protective towards the slayer, although their relationship was hardly out of the sexual stage. The angrier he got, the more he wanted to use all of his magic again. He could still feel it in his heart, pulsing like a drum. It wanted to be let out, and every moment he was angry was another moment that it almost let loose. Part of him wanted to believe that Alfred could win against Ivan, but the vampire was strong and Alfred's chances of success were minimal.<p>

The sound that set him off was Alfred's scream. All at once the power broke free, like a door swung open and let them all lose. His power reached out tactically in a radius around him, extinguishing the lines that were keeping him in place. Allistor chuckled "You're finally ready hardball, I see." Arthur's voice sounded strangely amplified in his own ears "I'm not going to let you get in my way." A blast of energy came out from Arthur, which didn't affect Allistor at all. The older of the two had conjured an energy shield, which had protected was well aware of his younger brother's abilities.

Arthur became aware of the fact that if he wanted to win, then he was going to have to try something new. He conjured a blast of flames, which of course meant that Allistor dropped the energy shield to conjure a blast of water. Arthur followed behind his own spell, managing to distract his brother enough that he didn't see the elbow to the face coming.

Arthur managed to smack his brother so hard that the red head ended up on the floor. Arthur used a spell to bind both of the other's hands to the floor. His brother attempted to counteract it, but he was too dazed by the strike to do anything. Then, without a second thought, he pressed his finger to the pentagram on his brother's arm. At once he started to absorb the power. The ink visibly transferred from his arm, up the finger and to the pentagram on Arthur's arm, which developed a Celtic knot work pattern around it. Allistor struggled at first, but he slowly lost consciousness as the transfer continued. Arthur felt so powerful; it was rushing through his veins. It felt like endorphins, but magnified.

His next thought focused on Alfred, he needed to save him before Ivan ripped out his throat. He stood up as soon as his brother was out cold. He then walked into the other room. The first thing he saw was Ivan, on the floor in a pool of blood, holding what appeared to be his mate's body. It was broken and limp, like a shattered porcelain doll. The sounds he was making were almost too human. His head was against his mate's and he was saying over and over again "Nyet, Gilbert, you can't leave me. Nyet, Nyet, Nyet." It didn't take much to figure out what had happened.

But what concerned Arthur more was Alfred, who was lying on the floor clutching his leg. Arthur rushed over to him and dropped to his knees. Alfred looked up at Arthur as if he barely knew him. The druid put his hand on the other's leg and focused his energy on healing the bone. It cracked back into place. Alfred put one hand on Arthur's face and said very deliberately "Arthur, you've gone too far. Come back to me while you still can". Arthur somehow understood through the power daze what he needed to do. He closed his eyes and deliberately released all the power he had gained into the air.

He smiled half-heartedly "I could have fixed your arm too if you hadn't stopped me". Alfred smiled back "It will heal naturally." Arthur looked over at Ivan "Are you going to stake him? He deserves it and I doubt he will put up a fight". Alfred glanced over at the grieving vampire as well and shook his head "That's more mercy than he deserves. He's done for, when the sun comes up, he will still be here and he will be dusted".

Arthur nodded and wrapped his arm around Alfred's waist "Do you think you can stand? That leg is newly healed and it might not be the most stable". Alfred looked at it dubiously and then said "Well, we'll figure it out, won't we? Come on, we need to get out of here." With some help from the Brit, Alfred managed to haul himself back into a standing position and managed to limp out, leaving Ivan sobbing over Gilbert's body.

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><p>Hundreds of miles away, Roderich felt the stake go through Gilbert as if it was his own body. He had been expecting this, as much as he believed Ludwig could keep a promise, he didn't trust Alfred to hold back. He didn't want to exist without Gilbert, he was the only reason that Roderich had chosen to become undead, and if he was gone, then Roderich didn't want to exist. He didn't feel the emotions h had been expecting to feel, he just felt numb. Somehow, the expectation of this had made it somewhat easier to come to grips with.<p>

He had a plan already, he had been thinking about it for the last few days. He saw under the curtain that the sun was rising. Still feeling almost nothing, Roderich opened the door and walked out onto the sun-filled balcony. His body started to burn at once, but it didn't hurt as much as he expected it to. A couple hours later, all that remained on the balcony was a sizable pile of dust that was slowly blowing away.

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><p><em>AN: WAIT! Don't storm out angry yet, it's not over! There is an epilogue that will make everything clear.  
>I hope you enjoyed the fight, it seemed a bit one sided though, didn't it? Anyway, you can review on this chapter if you would like or you can wait to review on the epilogue<em>


	15. Epilogue

-2 months later-

Alfred knocked on the door and said "Arthur, are you done packing in there?" The other blonde stuck his head out of the door. He smirked "Yeah unless you have any more stakes and crosses left under the bed or anything". Arthur opened the door the rest of the way, revealing a couple of chests and a pair of suitcases. Alfred walked into the room and looked around for anything that he might be forgetting.

He started talking, more out of nervous habit "How's your brother adjusting to the whole mission thing?" Arthur sighed "He's still adjusting to not being able to do magic, since I pretty much stripped him of all his abilities. But the missionaries said he was still making good progress towards semi-normal." Alfred walked over to the bed, on which all the luggage was piled. He played absentmindedly with the zipper on one of the suitcases "That's good. I suppose we will all need to find a new normal. I know the Ivan thing is over, but at the funeral, I couldn't help but think that this was one case I will never forget." Arthur nodded "I get what you mean. I also have some questions about the whole situation."

Alfred stopped playing with the zipper and said "Shoot". Arthur sat down next to him on the bed and looked him right in the eyes "You know, with that whole amulet thing, I could hear Ludwig's conversation with Gilbert. They were fully brothers, right?" Alfred nodded "Of course they were, or else Ivan wouldn't have been able to track Gilbert's scent so easily. Why do you ask?" Arthur reached out and put his hand casually on Alfred's leg "Well, Gilbert told Ludwig that his mother had been part werewolf. Why would he say that if it was a lie?"

Alfred thought about it for a moment. It was a puzzling turn of events, but somehow it made sense "He was distancing himself from his brother, lying to himself more than he was lying to Ludwig. By pretending they weren't fully related, Gilbert made it easier for himself. I don't know how Ludwig didn't see through such an absurd lie. " Arthur nodded again "Alright, I suppose that makes sense. Our best bet is to forget about this whole ordeal now." Alfred stood back up "Of course, we have werewolves in London to deal with". Arthur laughed slightly "It may be best if you not make references to lame songs". The American smirked again "Make me". The other stood up off the bed and kissed Alfred on the lips.

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><p>The black sea twinkled with ships that were skating through the night. On a small island off the shore, a villa had its lights on. On the veranda, a vampire was standing at the railing looking out at the sea traffic. His pale fingers walked across the black metal. His mate walked up behind him and carefully wrapped a jacket around his shoulders. The taller of the two spoke "It's cold out here".The paler of the two accepted the jacket but said scornfully "Ivan, I'm not fragile".<p>

Ivan wrapped his arms protectively around his mate "But you were. I don't need to tell you what happened." Gilbert put his hand to the large round scar on his chest "I know, I took a stake to the lung". Ivan stroked Gilbert's hair protectively "That stake missed your heart by an inch, less than that, really. I was so scared I'd lost you. It took you weeks to regain consciousness, and then you were so weak." Gilbert turned around and put the hand that wasn't on his scar against Ivan's face "I know, but you did nurse me back to health. I owe you my immortal life again. You are everything to me".

Ivan returned the touch, softly laying his hand on Gilbert's cheek "Gil, I couldn't live without you. I couldn't exist without you at all. I love you with all my being. You can't". His voice faltered, but he was able to regain it after a couple seconds "You can't ever leave me". Gilbert leaned forward and kissed his mate hard on the lips "I'm here, Ivan, and I'm not going anywhere ever"

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><p><em>AN: See? Isn't that a much better ending? I really hope you enjoyed the story and I really enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much to everyone who kept reading this through my tardiness and my bitchy-ness. I really appreciate every single one of you. You're the reason that this story ever turned into anything more than a one shot. So yet again, thank you so much. I hope you will review one more time so that I know if you loved or hated the ending._

_On the topic of any other writing I might do with this pairing (if you really can't get enough snow bunny, I know I can't). A while back I wrote pair of stories concerning the Berlin wall with countries, I am thinking of adding a 3rd story to that. If you would read it, feel free to put that in your review._


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